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Australian Council for Educational Research |
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AEC |
Australian Education Council |
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ALLP |
Australian Language and Literacy Policy |
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ATSI |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander |
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ESL |
English as a Second Language |
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LLP |
Literacy and Learning Program |
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MCEETYA |
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs |
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NCAELLS |
National Collaborative Adult English Language and Literacy Strategy |
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NEPS |
National Equity Program for Schools |
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SIP |
Special Intervention Program |
In June 1996 Dr David Kemp, the then Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, announced that improving the literacy skills of young people would be a central education policy objective of the Government. To achieve that objective, he advocated a national goal be set to ensure that every child leaving primary school should be able to read, write and spell at an 'appropriate level'.(1) He also stated his belief that:
In addressing the issue of literacy effectively we are addressing a key source of a number of the difficulties and problems faced by young people including the national priority issue of youth unemployment. That is why the Government places so much importance on literacy as the essential key we must give our students with which to unlock their, and Australia's future.(2)
The concern about literacy levels is common to many countries. In the United Kingdom the Blair Government declared early its literacy target that, by the year 2002, 80 per cent of 11 year-olds will be reaching the standards expected for their age in English and 75 per cent in maths.(3) The Government subsequently produced both a literacy and numeracy strategy, declaring 1998 the Year of Reading and introducing a compulsory literacy hour for all schools. In the United States President Clinton issued a 'Call to Action for American Education',(4) declaring as one of his priorities that all children will read independently and well by the end of third grade. To this purpose he has launched an 'America Reads Challenge' to provide the supportive infrastructure to underpin his strategy.
Any debate or policy formulation about literacy is inherently difficult because not only is there no single universally accepted definition of literacy, it is also a very fluid concept which is constantly evolving in response to societal needs and demands. Joseph Lo Bianco and Peter Freebody in their report on literacy policy provide a useful discussion of the definitions of literacy, canvassing definitions from 'skills-based conceptions of functional literacy through to very broad and all-encompassing definitions which integrate social and political empowerment'.(5) They advocate a multidimensional concept of literacy.(6)
The preoccupation with literacy levels is not new. According to one thesis,(7) the concern about literacy levels has had a number of manifestations over the years in response to, and offered as a solution for, contemporary social issues and problems. The authors argue that:
...the literacy debate is rarely about 'literacy' in itself. It is tied up with larger political and moral debates about the directions of communities and cultures, nation-states and economies.(8)
This thesis is in accord with some of the criticisms which the Government's literacy strategies have attracted. The Australian Education Union has accused the Government of manufacturing a 'literacy crisis' for political expediency.(9) Academics have also challenged Government assertions that literacy standards are at crisis levels. Associate Professor Tony Townsend from Monash University has been reported as claiming that Australian students are doing much better than others in the English-speaking world.(10) Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been used to show that there has been no major change in literacy levels over the last twenty years and that those socioeconomic groups about which there has been most concern-those living in poverty, those from non-English speaking backgrounds and indigenous people-have always had significantly lower literacy levels.(11)
Nevertheless the endorsement of the National Literacy Plan in March 1997 by Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers was an acknowledgment that, in spite of this debate, literacy levels needed to be improved. The urgency of the issue has received further impetus from recent research that continues to link low literacy levels to future employment outcomes. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported a 16 per cent unemployment rate for people with poor literacy skills compared to a 4 per cent rate for those with very high literacy levels.(12)
The policy developments since 1996 continue the work of previous governments. For instance, the early 1990s saw the formulation of the Australian Language and Literacy Policy, the establishment of specific Commonwealth school literacy programs and a number of adult literacy strategies, with a particular focus on workplace literacy. Throughout concern has been expressed about the links between socioeconomic disadvantage, literacy levels and future life outcomes.
In recent years a multitude of reports and policy initiatives canvassing all aspects of literacy from literacy in schools to adult literacy, socioeconomic disadvantage and literacy, gender and literacy, and generational literacy, have been released. This has been accompanied by a plethora of debate about definitions of literacy, the measurement and reporting of literacy standards, teaching methods, (the 'phonics versus whole language approach'), funding, and literacy in the context of the general strains on the education system. The debate has moved from literacy in schools to adult literacy with a particular focus on young unemployed adults. Lately another strand to the debate has been added with calls for pre-school and early intervention literacy programs.
This chronology is not exhaustive. It is an attempt to plot the course of child and adult literacy research and Commonwealth policy development since 1975. Its emphasis is on research and on Commonwealth policy development since 1996. There has been no attempt to chronicle developments at the State and Territory level nor to include developments relating to numeracy, except where it is dealt in tandem with literacy.
A select list of further reading accompanies the chronology.
| Milestones | Details | Source Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 1975-1977
Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties Survey of 10 and 14 year olds |
The absence of reliable national data prompted
the House of Representatives Select Committee on Specific Learning
Difficulties to commission a survey of the literacy and numeracy levels
of school children in Australia. The Australian Council for Educational
Research (ACER) subsequently conducted the survey for the Education
Research and Development Committee. ACER assessed the achievement
of 10 and 14 year olds in the areas of reading, writing and numeracy,
reporting a wide range of performance and confirming a significant
number of children were failing to reach adequate levels of literacy
and numeracy.
In its final report, the Select Committee recommended regular surveys of literacy achievement to assess standards and compare results between school systems within Australia as well as internationally. The Select Committee also examined adult literacy problems and recommended the expansion of adult literacy programs and research into adult literacy teaching techniques. |
House of Representatives Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties, Learning difficulties in children and adults, AGPS, Canberra, 1976. Education |
| 1979
Development of assessment methods and performance standards for basic skills recommended |
In response to employer concerns about the literacy and numeracy skills of school leavers, the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Education and Training recommended the development of performance standards in basic skills and also the development of appropriate assessment methods for those skills. | Committee of Inquiry into Education and Training, Education, training and employment, AGPS, Canberra, 1979. |
| 1980
Report on national assessment program for Australia |
In 1976 a Study Group was established to examine the effectiveness of national assessment programs in other countries and to consider the need for such a program in Australia. The Study Group concluded a national assessment program such as existed in the United States was not appropriate for Australia and recommended that the individual school be the primary agent to conduct skills assessments. | Education Research and Development Committee, 'National assessment of educational progress', ERDC report, no. 26, AGPS, Canberra, 1980. |
| 1980
Increased support for literacy monitoring recommended |
The report of the Committee of Inquiry into Technological Change in Australia (the Myers Committee) acknowledged community concern about the literacy and numeracy levels of young people leaving school, recognising that competent levels were integral to adapting to technological change. The Committee recommended the Commonwealth Government increase its support of programs for the national monitoring of general literacy and numeracy. | Committee of Inquiry into Technological Change in Australia, Technological change in Australia, AGPS, Canberra, 1980. |
| 1981
Report on literacy and numeracy skills of students aged 10 and 14 years |
The Australian Studies in Student Performance Project was undertaken in 1979 by ACER, at the request of the Australian Education Council (AEC), a council of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers. The Project surveyed the literacy and numeracy skills of 10 and 14-year-old students and compared those results with a 1975 cohort. The survey results demonstrated a wide range of performance at both age levels, with female students performing better in the younger age group and differences in performance between metropolitan and non-metropolitan students. The study did not find significant changes in results between the 1975 and the 1980 cohort. | Bourke, S. F., et al., Performance in literacy and numeracy: 1980: a report to the Australian Education Council on the Australian Studies in Student Performance Project, AGPS for the AEC, Canberra, 1981. |
| 1984
Senate Committee recommends additional funding for adult literacy programs |
Issues of adult literacy were addressed by the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts in its report on the development of a national language policy. The Committee recommended the assessment of adult literacy levels in Australia, Commonwealth funding for adult literacy programs in the TAFE sector and a campaign to promote adult literacy. It also recommended the establishment of a national committee on adult literacy. | Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts, Report on a national language policy, AGPS, Canberra, 1984. |
| 1985
Support for bilingual education programs for aboriginal children |
The House of Representatives Select Committee on Aboriginal Education established that the improvement of English literacy standards must be a priority for primary schooling of Aboriginal children. The Committee recommended further funding for bilingual language programs for Aboriginal students and an emphasis on programs that taught English as a second language to Aboriginal students. (Commonwealth funding for bilingual education was first introduced in Northern Territory schools in 1973.) | House of Representatives Select Committee on Aboriginal Education, Aboriginal education, AGPS, Canberra, 1985. |
| 1987
National Policy on Languages |
In response to the Senate Committee report on a national language policy, a national policy on language issues was developed and endorsed by the Prime Minister in April 1987. With regard to literacy, the policy proposed a campaign to improve levels of adult literacy and, subsequently in the 1987-88 Budget, funding was allocated for the Adult Literacy Action Campaign. | Lo Bianco, Joseph, National policy on languages, AGPS, Canberra, 1987. |
| 1989
First national survey of adult literacy |
Australia's first national survey of adult literacy found that a majority of Australian adults could perform straightforward literacy tasks but many were unable to complete tasks of moderate complexity. Ten per cent of the sample failed to achieve at all on quantitative literacy. Those that had greater difficulty with the more complex tasks tended to be older, working in unskilled occupations and come from backgrounds where as children they had had limited access to literacy materials in the home. It was acknowledged that literacy and numeracy skills development was not the sole responsibility of schools, and that it was a lifelong process because of society's constantly changing literacy needs. | Wickert, Rosie, No single measure: a survey of Australian adult literacy, Department of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra, 1989. |
| 1989
Common and Agreed Goals for Schooling in Australia |
State, Territory and Commonwealth Education Ministers reached agreement on the ten Common and Agreed National Goals for Schooling in Australia (the Hobart Declaration). One of those goals was the development of English literacy and numeracy skills. | Curriculum Corporation and Australian Education Council, National report on schooling in Australia 1990, Curriculum Corporation for the AEC, Carlton, Vic., 1991. |
| 1990
International Literacy Year |
The International Literacy Year Program concentrated on strategic national projects that could form the basis for future literacy programs. Projects included a forum on adult literacy assessment, pedagogical issues relating to adult literacy and a public awareness campaign. A Literacy and Language Task Force was also established in September 1990 to develop a policy strategy for the future. | Department of Employment, Education and Training, Annual report 1990-91, AGPS, Canberra, 1991. |
| 1990
January National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy |
Following on from the report of the Aboriginal Education Policy Task Force released in 1988, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy was endorsed by all governments in 1989 and came into effect from 1 January 1990. The policy articulated specific long-term literacy goals, including proficiency in English language and numeracy skills for children and for adults with limited or no educational experience. | Aboriginal Education Policy Task Force, Report of the Aboriginal Education Policy Task Force, Aboriginal Education Policy Task Force, Canberra, 1988. Department of |
| 1990
Government discussion paper on an Australian literacy and language policy |
The Commonwealth Government released a discussion paper, the purpose of which was to propose a national strategy for the promotion of literacy and language learning. The discussion paper stated that about one million Australians had problems relating to everyday literacy tasks and that the literacy levels of school children required continuing attention. The Paper identified the need for language and literacy education, proposed national goals and objectives, options for implementation, and contained a draft national literacy strategy. | Department of Employment, Education and Training, The language of Australia: discussion paper on an Australian literacy and language policy for the 1990s, AGPS, Canberra, 1990. |
| 1991
January Establishment of workplace and job-seeker literacy programs |
The Special Intervention Program (SIP)
commenced on 1 January 1991 and was introduced to assist disadvantaged
job seekers overcome barriers to employment. Under the Program, individual
job seekers were assessed and provided with access to appropriate
training, such as upgrading literacy skills. The SIP later became
part of Working Nation with greatly increased funds.
The 1991-92 Budget allocated funding for the Workplace Literacy Program. In the following financial year it merged with the English in the Workplace program to become the Workplace English Language and Literacy Program. Under this Program, funding was allocated to workplaces and organisations in industry to develop and implement literacy training activities and resources, as part of the skills training associated with Award competency standards. |
Department of Employment, Education and Training, Annual report, 1990-91, 1991-92, AGPS, Canberra, 1991-1992. Department of |
| 1991
March Report on literacy needs in the workplace |
As a result of concerns about the effect of literacy levels on the capacity for structural adjustment of industry to changing international economic conditions, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training investigated the impact of low literacy levels on productivity and skills improvement in the workplace. The Committee reported workers with inadequate literacy skills across a wide section of industries and workplaces and recommended the urgent establishment of an adult literacy strategy that would meet the needs of workers from both an English and non-English speaking background. | House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training, Words at work: a report on literacy needs in the workplace, AGPS, Canberra, 1991. |
| 1991
August Australian Language and Literacy Policy School literacy programs for disadvantaged secondary school students and the early years of schooling |
The Commonwealth Government's Australian
Language and Literacy Policy (ALLP) was released by the then Minister
for Employment, Education and Training, John Dawkins. It incorporated
the proposal for a national literacy strategy which had been presented
in the 1990 discussion paper on literacy and language policy.
The ALLP stated the following goal for literacy: All Australian residents should develop and maintain a level of spoken and written English which is appropriate for a range of contexts, with the support of education and training programs addressing their diverse learning needs. Implementation of literacy programs under the ALLP commenced in 1992. These included:
As a result of the ALLP, the Commonwealth's Literacy and Learning Program (LLP) for schools, introduced in 1991, was replaced by the School Language and Literacy Program from 1992. While retaining the focus of the former program on the needs of disadvantaged junior secondary school students, the new program was expanded to also include a focus on the early years of schooling, (kindergarten to Year 3). The Program was again reformulated under the National Equity Program for Schools (NEPS), introduced in 1993. |
Department of Employment, Education and Training, Australia's language: the Australian language and literacy policy, AGPS, Canberra, 1991. Department of Department of |
| 1992
Response to International Literacy Year identifies the costs of low literacy levels |
Australia's report in response to International Literacy Year was released in 1992. It included a profile of the literacy problem in Australia. The report concluded that the most economically disadvantaged in Australian society were those with the lowest levels of literacy and it also referred to the societal costs of inadequate literacy levels. The report estimated that the cost in lost productivity because of low literacy levels to Australian industry was at least $3.2 billion annually. | Putting literacy on the agenda: International Literacy Year end of year report 1990, Literacy and ESL Section, Language and Literacy Branch, Department of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra, 1992. |
| 1993
May Report estimates up to 20 per cent of primary school students with literacy problems |
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training report, The Literacy Challenge, highlighted the lack of reliable national data on literacy. In its final report the Committee estimated that between 10 to 20 per cent of Australian children were finishing primary schooling with literacy problems. The Committee acknowledged that a basic grounding in literacy skills was a prerequisite for later learning and early education needed to be better resourced. Its final recommendations included increased funding for the primary school sector and proposals relating to the selection and training of teachers, the development of standard assessment tasks, and curriculum revision. | House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training, The literacy challenge: a report on strategies for early intervention for literacy and learning for Australian children, AGPS, Canberra, 1993. |
| 1993
April Adult English Language and Literacy Strategy |
The National Collaborative Adult English Language and Literacy Strategy (NCAELLS) was endorsed by Commonwealth and State Ministers of Education. The Strategy was an attempt to align and provide the strategic planning basis for the different areas of service provision, including vocational education and training, labour market programs, immigration settlement programs, and workplace reform programs. | National collaborative adult English language and literacy strategy, Adult Literacy Information Office, [Sydney], 1993. |
| 1994
Smith Family report links social disadvantage to literacy achievement |
The Smith Family conducted a research study to measure the impact of social disadvantage on educational performance. The study found that 60 per cent of socially disadvantaged high school students had inadequate literacy skills compared to an estimated 10 to 20 per cent of the total school population. | Orr, Elizabeth, Australia's literacy challenge: the importance of education in breaking the poverty cycle for Australia's disadvantaged families, Smith Family, Sydney, 1994. |
| 1994
May Working Nation allocates funding for national survey of school literacy |
The Commonwealth Government's White Paper
on Employment, Working Nation, allocated approximately $2.6
million to collect reliable national data on the literacy levels of
school students at three significant stages of schooling, to be completed
by 1996.
The White Paper argued that, in relation to young people, there was a strong relationship between low levels of literacy and high levels of unemployment and other forms of social disadvantage. |
Working nation: policies and programs, AGPS, Canberra, 1994. |
| 1994
September National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples |
In October 1993 the Commonwealth Government announced a review of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy which had been introduced in 1990. A discussion paper issued in May 1994 reported that approximately 45 per cent of ATSI primary school students had significantly lower levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy, compared to about 16 per cent of other Australian students. The final report of the Review, recognising that English was not the first language of many ATSI peoples, recommended that ATSI English language and literacy support services be provided in a similar manner to English as a Second Language (ESL) services provided to non-indigenous students whose first language was not English. | Department of Employment, Education and Training, National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: a discussion paper, AGPS, Canberra, 1994. Department of |
| 1995
January Literacy funding for the early years of schooling |
The Early Literacy Component of the NEPS was introduced to support literacy development for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds in the early years of schooling, (kindergarten to Year 3). Funding was provided to support intervention strategies and to provide professional development programs. | Department of Employment, Education and Training, Commonwealth programs for schools 1995: administrative guidelines, AGPS, Canberra, 1995. |
| 1995
June Literacy survey trial conducted |
The Commonwealth Government commissioned ACER to undertake a trial of procedures for collecting valid and reliable data on English literacy for students in Years 3, 5 and 10. On the basis of ACER's report on the trial's results it was recommended that a 1996 survey proceed for Years 3 and 5 only. | Masters, Geoff N., Forster, Margaret, Mapping literacy achievement: results of the 1996 National School English Literacy Survey, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997. |
| 1995
August Report on inter-generational literacy |
A report on intergenerational literacy recognised the cross-generational connections in literacy outcomes and the effect of parent literacy practices on children's literacy development. The project surveyed intergenerational literacy programs and recommended the Commonwealth provide separate funding for these programs and encourage cross-sectoral cooperation. | Toomey, Derek et al, Supporting intergenerational family literacy programs, Dept. of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra, 1995. |
| 1995
November Report on teacher education in language and literacy |
The Australian Language and Literacy Council in its report on teacher education in language and literacy recommended specific literacy training for teachers and continuing professional development. It also recommended the development of a coordinated strategy for addressing the literacy needs of children before they begin formal education. | Australian Language and Literacy Council, Teacher education in English language and literacy, AGPS, Canberra, 1995. |
| 1995
November National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples |
The National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples was endorsed by all Education Ministers and included literacy priorities across the educational spectrum. The priority in the compulsory years of schooling was for improved English literacy and numeracy outcomes through the delivery of culturally appropriate programs that recognised the home languages of ATSI peoples. The English literacy and numeracy proficiency of adult ATSI peoples was also targeted through the delivery of community development training services. | Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, A National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: 1996-2002, MCEETYA, South Carlton, Vic., 1996. |
| 1996
February Study of desert-based aboriginal communities |
The Desert Schools project examined the
English language and literacy development of secondary school age
remote Aboriginal students. The report of the project acknowledged,
as had many of its predecessors, that the goal for remote communities
was English language and literacy proficiency for their children and
for adults, alongside home language status and maintenance. In spite
of the various educational strategies which had been promulgated for
ATSI peoples it was reported that there appeared to be little achieved
in terms of positive literacy outcomes, with the majority of students
in the teenage years educated to functional English for oral communication
in local situations and to Year 4 or 5 equivalent level in English
literacy.
The recommendations of the report were similar to previous reports, with calls for culturally appropriate pedagogical approaches, equal status for English and community languages in a bilingual context, utilisation of Aboriginal educators with real teaching responsibilities, and the treatment of English as a second language. |
Desert schools: an investigation of English language and literacy among young Aboriginal people in seven communities, Dept of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra, 1996. |
| 1996
June National School English Literacy Survey announced Paper on a national literacy policy commissioned |
Following on from an intention first expressed
by the Minister in April, the then Minister for Schools, Vocational
Education and Training Dr David Kemp announced, after consultation
with State and Territory Education Ministers and peak non-government
school authorities, that the National School English Literacy Survey
would take place.
Dr Kemp also commissioned the National Language and Literacy Institute of Australia to prepare a paper on literacy policy, its scope being literacy in the school education context. The intention was that the paper would provide the philosophical and policy framework for the development of a national literacy policy. |
Hon. Dr David Kemp, 'A national literacy goal', Speech to the Australian College of Education Conference on General and Vocational Education, 21 June 1996. |
| 1996
July Literacy Benchmarking Taskforce established by MCEETYA |
The July 1996 meeting of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) agreed to a new national goal 'that every child leaving primary school should be able to read, write, spell and communicate at an appropriate level'. It was further agreed that common literacy benchmarks at Years 3 and 5 and an agreed national framework for reporting achievements in English literacy and numeracy be developed. A MCEETYA Benchmarking Taskforce was subsequently established to develop draft national benchmarks for Years 3 and 5. | 'National literacy first', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, 18 July 1996. |
| 1996
August-September National School English Literacy Survey conducted |
The National School English Literacy Survey
was conducted in government and non-government schools in all States
and Territories of Australia over a six week period.
ACER conducted the Survey under the direction of a Management Committee which included representatives from the Commonwealth, all school sectors, and education unions. |
Masters, Geoff N., Forster, Margaret, Mapping literacy achievement: results of the 1996 National School English Literacy Survey, Dept of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra, 1997. |
| 1997
January New schools literacy program |
As a result of the streamlining of Commonwealth
national priority programs for schools, a new literacy program was
introduced, combining funding provided under the former Disadvantaged
Schools and English as a Second Language (ESL) - General Support programs.
It also included additional funding of $45 million over three years
for a National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.
The Literacy Programme has two funding strands: Grants to Schools to foster literacy, the main objective of which is to improve outcomes for students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds; and Grants for National Strategies and Projects. |
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Commonwealth programmes for schools quadrennial administrative guidelines 1997 to 2000, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997. |
| 1997
March Survey compares performance of 14 year olds between 1975 and 1995 |
A comparison of literacy and numeracy outcomes for 14 year olds between 1975 and 1995 found that there had been little change in average standards of reading and numeracy and reaffirmed the influence of socioeconomic factors on literacy outcomes. | Marks, Gary N. and Ainley, John, Reading comprehension and numeracy among junior secondary school students in Australia, ACER, Camberwell, Vic., 1997. |
| 1997
March Education Ministers endorse a national literacy and numeracy plan and a new sub goal for literacy and numeracy |
Commonwealth, State and Territory Education
Ministers endorsed a national literacy and numeracy plan to give effect
to the national literacy goal which had been agreed to in July 1996.
The plan included the comprehensive assessment of all students as
early as possible, to identify those students at risk of not making
adequate progress towards the national numeracy and literacy goals
and take remedial action. It was also agreed that all students in
Years 3 and 5 would be assessed against national benchmarks.
The Ministers also adopted a new sub-goal for literacy and numeracy: 'that every child commencing school from 1998 will achieve a minimum acceptable literacy and numeracy standard within four years'. |
'National literacy plan adopted', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, 14 March 1997. Ministerial |
| 1997
June Report claims sectoral literacy problems rather than a general literacy crisis |
The authors of Australian literacies avowed that there was no general literacy crisis in Australia but, rather, 'systematic underperformance' by particular groups. To achieve acceptable literacy outcomes for all, they argued for a multidimensional concept of 'literacies' encompassing a 'repertoire' of capabilities. The publication set the prerequisites for a literacy policy and synthesised research, practice and policy across Australia. | Lo Bianco, Joseph and Freebody, Joseph, Australian literacies: informing national policy on literacy education, Language Australia, Belconnen, ACT, 1997. |
| 1997
July Literacy and numeracy achievement linked to education and labour market outcomes |
Key findings from a study of the relationship between school achievement and future outcomes, included a strong relationship between literacy and numeracy skills and retention rates, and participation in further education. Young people with weak numeracy and literacy skills were more likely to experience long-term unemployment and lower average earnings at age 19. | Lamb, Stephen, School achievement and initial education and labour market outcomes, ACER, Camberwell, Vic., 1997. |
| 1997
September Adult literacy survey |
The Australian Bureau of Statistics survey
of adult literacy included people aged 15 to 74 across Australia and
focussed on 'functional literacy and numeracy' necessary for daily
life.
The survey found that approximately 19.5 per cent of those surveyed had very poor literacy skills that could be expected to create significant difficulties in dealing with many of the printed materials found in daily life. Approximately 27 per cent had literacy levels that would create moderate difficulties. The survey also found that people over 45 had weaker literacy skills and that there was a clear relationship between literacy levels and labour force status and income level. There was also a significantly greater proportion of indigenous people at the lower literacy levels. |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Aspects of literacy: assessed skill levels Australia 1996, Cat. No. 4228.0, ABS, Canberra, 1997. |
| 1997
September Results of the 1996 National School English Literacy Survey released. |
The results of the 1996 National School
English Literacy Survey, conducted by ACER, were released by the then
Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, Dr David
Kemp. The Survey found a wide range of literacy achievement among
Australian school children at both Years 3 and 5. The findings, which
reported against a range of achievement estimated to contain the draft
benchmark, indicated that 21 per cent of Year 5 and 4 per cent of
Year 3 students were achieving below the range of achievement for
reading. The corresponding figures for writing were 15 per cent for
Year 5 and 6 per cent for Year 3.
The publication of the Survey's results was surrounded by some controversy as the Minister released a second report on the survey which had been prepared at his request. This second report, Literacy standards in Australia, assessed the survey's results against required standards of performance for Years 3 and 5. It claimed that 27 per cent of Year 3 and 29 per cent of Year 5 students did not meet the required standards in reading while the corresponding figures for writing were 28 per cent and 33 per cent. State and Territory Education Ministers released a joint statement which reaffirmed their commitment to the national literacy plan but expressed concern that agreement had not been reached on the proposed literacy benchmarks used in the second report. The statement also contained an alternative literacy plan. |
Management Committee for the National School English Literacy Survey, Mapping literacy achievement: results of the 1996 National School English Literacy Survey, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997. Australian 'Education |
| 1997
October C'wealth literacy funding tied to development of literacy plans by States and Territories |
The Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, announced that the States and Territories, to secure their 1998 Commonwealth literacy funding, would be required to provide the Commonwealth Government with detailed literacy plans for ensuring that all children were reading and writing adequately by the end of Year 3. | 'Literacy funding conditions', Media release, Dr David Kemp, Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, 6 October 1997. Department of |
| 1997
December Education Ministers agree on development of literacy benchmarks |
Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers approved progress towards a set of literacy benchmarks (writing, spelling, reading), subject to validation and following consultations. | 'Doorstop interview: Education Ministers' Meeting ...', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 11 December 1997. |
| 1997
December Report explores relationships between literacy learning and technology |
The 'information age', as defined in this project which explored the relationships between technology and literacy, has broadened the concepts and parameters of literacy. The project's report called for governments, educational administrators and schools to respond to the pedagogical demands of these changing concepts and made recommendations for action. | Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Digital rhetorics: literacies and technologies in education- current practices and future directions, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997. |
| 1998
February Policy paper on C'wealth literacy policies for Australian schools |
The Commonwealth Government released a policy paper consolidating and explaining its literacy and numeracy policies for Australian schools. The paper included an outline of policy principles and goals, funding strategies, contextual framework, and particular aspects of literacy, including the pedagogy of literacy, the needs of ESL, bilingual and indigenous students, assessment and intervention, home-school partnerships, technology and early schooling. | Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Literacy for all: the challenge for Australian schools, DEETYA, Canberra, 1998. |
| 1998
February Literacy benchmarks questioned |
The annual report on government services acknowledged the value of the development of national benchmarks. However it questioned the wisdom of and highlighted the limitations and inherent dangers of only using a single benchmark to report performance. The report argued that there was a need for benchmarks across the full spectrum of school performance. | Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/ State Service Provision, Report on government services 1999, The Committee, Melbourne, 1999. |
| 1998
May Mutual obligation provisions for young people |
The Commonwealth Government announced additional funding for literacy and numeracy training for young unemployed people as part of the mutual obligation provisions which required young people between 18 and 24 to undertake an additional activity in return for the receipt of their unemployment benefit. | '$142.8 million for literacy and numeracy training for unemployed young people', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Employment, Education, Training, and Youth Affairs, 12 May 1998. |
| 1998
May Relationships between school, home and community literacy practices explored |
A case study was undertaken to explore the relationship between school, home and community group literacy practices and the implications for students' school success. The outcome was a recognition that schools have to be more cognisant of cultural and linguistic diversity to optimise students' success. The recommendations included funding for programs to support such practices and encourage community-based initiatives. | Cairney, Trevor H. and Ruge, Jenny, Community literacy practices and schooling: towards effective support for students, DEETYA, Canberra, 1998. |
| 1998
May Report on English literacy skills in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students |
An ACER report made recommendations to
improve English literacy of ATSI students based upon a series of case
studies linked to the results of the 1996 National School English
Literacy Survey.
The report linked literacy outcomes for ATSI people to: teachers' appreciation of Aboriginal English; the development of strategies to make the transition from the language used at home to the standard Australian English used in the classroom; the importance of strategies to deal with hearing problems in Aboriginal students; the incorporation of the characteristics of the way Aboriginal students learn; homework centres; and the employment of ATSI education workers. |
Batten, Margaret et al., 'Enhancing English literacy skills in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: a review of the literature and case studies in primary schools', ACER monograph, no. 54, 1998. |
| 1998
August Secondary school literacy and numeracy projects announced |
The Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, Senator Chris Ellison, announced funding of $5 million for projects to assist low achieving secondary school students to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. The projects included the development of curriculum materials, professional development of teachers, and piloting of new teaching strategies. | '$5 million for secondary school literacy and numeracy', Media release, Senator the Hon. Chris Ellison, Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, 6 August 1998. |
| 1998
October National literacy benchmarks for Years 3 and 5 published |
Following the release of draft benchmarks in June 1997, the Curriculum Corporation published national literacy benchmarks in writing, spelling, and reading for Years 3 and 5, approved by all Education Ministers in April 1998. | Curriculum Corporation, Literacy benchmarks, 1998, web site at: http://www.detya. gov.au/schools/ Literacy/ Literacy_Bench marks_Years3and5/ index.htm, (Nov. 1999). |
| 1999
January Report on early literacy development |
A project was conducted to investigate literacy development prior to school and the connections between home, preschool and school. The project's findings emphasised the importance of the early years in literacy development, recognised the impact of different social and cultural backgrounds, warned against early testing programs, and recommended the establishment of national literacy guidelines for 3 to 8 years. | Hill, Susan et al, 100 children go to school: connections and disconnections in literacy development in the year prior to school and the first year of school, Dept. of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra, 1998. |
| 1999
January Extension of literacy assessment and training requirements for unemployed |
The Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Dr David Kemp, announced the extension of literacy and numeracy assessment and training requirements. Previously the policy had applied to 18 to 24 year olds who had been unemployed for six months. With this announcement, all unemployed people with poor literacy and numeracy skills, on Youth Allowance or Newstart Allowance, and sole parents participating in the Jobs, Education and Training Strategy, would be required to undertake literacy assessment and training. | 'Government tightens literacy requirement for unemployed', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 28 January 1999. |
| 1999
February Report on the effect of adult literacy classes |
In 1992 the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs commissioned a five-year longitudinal study to examine the economic, educational and social outcomes for adults who participated in literacy education. The study found that literacy classes did affect employment outcomes, with the percentage gaining employment more than twice as high for the sample as in other long-term unemployed groups undertaking a Special Intervention Program. | Griffin, Patrick et al., Skilling me softly: a longitudinal study of the destination of adult literacy students, Assessment Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 1997. |
| 1999
February Australian Bureau of Statistics correlates literacy skills and employment outcomes |
The ABS report on education and training for 1998 demonstrated a strong relationship between literacy skill levels and labour market outcomes. Labour force participation rates for people with high literacy skills were between 86 per cent to 89 per cent compared to 56 per cent to 60 per cent for those with low level literacy skills. Unemployment rates for people with poor literacy were four times that of people with high levels of literacy. | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Education and training in Australia 1998, Cat. no. 4224.0, ABS, Canberra, 1999. |
| 1999
April New national goals for schooling |
Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers endorsed a new set of national goals for schooling (the Adelaide Declaration), including the specific literacy goal that 'every student should be numerate, able to read, write, spell and communicate at an appropriate level'. | Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, MCEETYA, Carlton South, Vic., 1999. |
| 1999
April Primary principals surveyed about literacy and numeracy performance |
A survey of primary principals found that primary schools were spending more class time on literacy and numeracy, albeit at the expense of other subjects, as schools struggled with the problems of a crowded curriculum. However, a majority of principals felt that student literacy performance was improving, particularly for low achieving students. | Hill, Peter W., Hurworth, Rosalind and Rowe, Kenneth J., The place of literacy and numeracy in the primary school curriculum: a national survey, DETYA, Canberra, 1998. |
| 1999
April Education Ministers agree on the need for comparable literacy tests |
Following a report of the MCEETYA Benchmarking Taskforce, which revealed that State and Territory 1998 literacy tests were not universally comparable across all aspects (only reading could be compared), State and Territory Education Ministers agreed to the redesign of their literacy tests for 1999 to allow for meaningful comparability between States and Territories. | 'State and Territory Ministers committed to national literacy benchmarks', Joint statement from State and Territory Ministers for Education, 23 April 1999. |
| 1999
May 1999-2000 budget provides for literacy in middle schooling and indigenous literacy programs |
The 1999-2000 Budget allocated $47.1 million
to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for students in the middle
years of schooling, (Years 5 to 10). Prior to this announcement Commonwealth
literacy programs had focused on the early years of schooling and,
through the Full Service Schools Program, at risk students in the
final years of schooling or those who had returned to school as a
result of the mutual obligation provisions.
The Budget also provided for a National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, supporting the general goals for literacy and numeracy by addressing the specific needs of indigenous students through the identification and dissemination of best practice models and teaching methods drawn from various pilot projects. Funding for the Strategy would be provided through existing funds under the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme. |
'Improving literacy and numeracy at school', Media Release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 11 May 1999. 'Improving |
| 1999
August Nationally comparable literacy tests conducted |
For the first time, Year 3 and 5 students in New South Wales, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria undertook nationally comparable literacy tests. It is expected that in 2000 all States and Territories will participate in the trialing of a pool of common test items. | 'Historic move as States adopt nationally comparable literacy and numeracy tests', Joint statement from State and Territory Education Ministers, 4 August 1999. |
| 1999
September National Literacy Week |
Following a ministerial announcement in March 1999, Australia's first National Literacy Week was held from 6 to 10 September 1999, to coincide with International Literacy Day on 8 September. The Commonwealth Government provided $1 million, matched by State and Territory contributions, to support public awareness activities in primary schools and other venues in local communities. A further $160,000 in cash prizes was provided to recognise schools through the National Literacy Week Awards for Literacy and Numeracy Achievement. | 'National Literacy Week', Media release, Hon. Dr David Kemp, Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 16 March 1999. Department of |
A Select List of Further Reading
Alloway, Nola, 'Reconceptualising early literacy achievement: moving beyond critique-paralysis', Australian journal of early childhood, vol. 24, no. 4, 1999, pp. 1-6.
Alloway, Nola and Gilbert, Pam, 'Reading literacy test data: benchmarking success?', Australian journal of language and literacy, vol. 21, no. 3, 1998, pp. 249-261.
Brock, Paul, 'Breaking some of the myths again', Australian journal of language and literacy, vol. 21, no. 1, 1998, pp. 8-26.
Christie, Frances, 'Point and counterpoint: benchmarking', Curriculum perspectives, vol. 18, no. 3, 1998, pp. 43-77.
Comber, Barbara, et al., 'Literacy debates and public education: a question of 'crisis'?', Reid, Alan, (ed.), Going public: education policy and public education in Australia, Australian Curriculum Studies Association, Deakin West, ACT, 1998, pp. 18-34.
Hammond, Jennifer, 'Literacy crises and ESL education, Australian journal of language and literacy, vol. 22, no. 2, 1999, pp. 120-134.
Hill, Peter, and Crevola, Carmel, 'Characteristics of an effective literacy strategy', Unicorn, vol. 24, no. 2, 1998, pp. 74-85.
Learning lessons: an independent review of indigenous education in the Northern Territory, Northern Territory Department of Education, Darwin, 1999.
Ochiltree, Gay, The first three years: an opinion on the need for and direction of early childhood intervention to improve the life chances of children in disadvantaged families, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy, Vic, 1999.
Peach, Frank, 'The national literacy and numeracy strategies: implications for educators', Unicorn, vol. 24, no. 2, 1998, pp. 7-17.
Shopen, Glenda, and Liddicoat, Anthony J., Challenges for partnership: literacy at home and school in the middle years: final report of the ACT Supportive Practices for the Enhancement of Literacy Learning Project (ACT SPELL), ACT SPELL Project, Canberra, 1998.
Wignell, Peter, (ed.), Double power: English literacy and indigenous education, Language Australia, Melbourne, 1999.
