Remedial classes need more funds

For quite some time there has been considerable concern about the low literacy levels in this country and it is perplexing that there are still half a million people with serious difficulty in this regard.

In a country that boasts about the quality of its educational standards and whose attraction for foreign investors is predicated upon that record, it is inconceivable that proficiency in literacy should pose a problem for such a large part of the population.

It means, effectively, that one quarter of the adult population has gone through the education system and emerged with a sub-standard level of reading and writing.

That so many people can fall through the net is a reflection on that system because, if there were enough checks and balances in place, the lack of proficiency in such fundamental requirements could not, should not, be so inordinately high.

Such a deficit in literacy ability impinges upon a person’s everyday life, from simple things such as shopping and reading a television schedule, to filling in important forms.

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) says that a quarter of the population has serious difficulty reading medicine bottles and packaging, following signage in health centres and hospitals and reading health promotional material.

Obviously, where medical matters are concerned, an inability to read medical instructions could lead to serious complications. In response, the NALA is organising a Health and Literacy Awareness week, which takes place next September.

Although the endeavours of the NALA are admirable, it is unlikely that the organisation will make sufficient inroads into low literacy levels solely through its own efforts.

There must be greater collaboration between the Department of Education, schools and the teacher organisations, as well as voluntary bodies, to begin to address this serious problem in a meaningful way.

A review of the manner of assessment employed by schools to monitor the progress of students appears to be essential. One of these is the examination process, whether it be routine school tests or State examinations.

Such a review should concentrate on preventing young students from joining the ranks of adults with low literacy levels. It is understandable that some people would fall through the education net in that regard, but it should be nowhere near the levels that the NALA maintains to exist at the moment.

As a possible starting point, the Department of Education should take a serious look at the resources being provided for remedial classes, both in terms of teachers and the finances provided to support a proper programme.