The national strategy for Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland was outlined in the Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (ALNIS)1 report published in 2001. At that time, it was estimated that 800,000 (23%) of adult Scots had low levels of literacy and numeracy. Since 2001, over 180,000 adult literacy and numeracy learners have received support. This report evaluates the quality and impact of that support.
Literacy is increasingly important to success in learning, life and work in modern Scotland. The range of literacy skills needed is widening as new forms of technology and communication are used routinely in our daily lives. Those who lack literacy skills spoke movingly to inspectors working on this report about the impact of limited literacy skills on their lives. They cited examples of their inability to carry out day to day transactions and the problems that they faced when new expectations of literacy were introduced to their workplace. They told of their embarrassment about their literacy skills and their attempts to hide their weaknesses from friends, family and colleagues. Supporting their literacy development is a vital area of work in developing an inclusive society in which everyone can contribute effectively.
The literacy needs of learners are diverse. Some learners had strong vocational and interpersonal skills but did not have sufficient literacy skills to enable them to progress in their work, sustain or re-enter employment. Many learners had experienced interruption to their school learning, through for example health or family reasons and had been unable to catch up sufficiently to be able to engage in classes and had lost their skills over time. More than a few had previously had good or very good levels of literacy skills but had suffered medical trauma which resulted in them having to learn to read and write again. Assessing their needs and matching provision to meet their needs is an important feature of quality provision.
The range of providers, types of approaches and roles of individuals involved in helping people to improve their skills are also wide and diverse. They include education professionals and volunteers of all ages, those who have run businesses and people who have never worked. Some bring experience of teaching in nurseries, schools, colleges or universities; others draw on expertise from different occupations such as nurses, welders, shopkeepers and carers. This results in a very rich and challenging landscape which aims to meet the needs of learners in different contexts and communities.
Most learners make good progress and achieve their individual goals. Staff are highly committed and motivated and establish very positive relationships with learners which encourage and motivate their success. Most providers take good account of individual and community needs in planning provision and reach out well to encourage learners to get the support that they need. These are important strengths but provision must aim to be of the highest quality. Better planning and partnership working, improved assessment of individual needs, more effective use of ICT, better recognition of achievement and progression pathways to new learning are some of the aspects for development identified in this report. I commend the report to you to support further improvements in this important area of work.
Graham Donaldson
HM Inspector of Education
Learner Story |
"I have learned a lot in class. My reading is a lot better. I can read magazines and send text messages to my friends from my mobile phone." |