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BaselineMonitoringReport Foundation Competencies in the New Zealand Population ← Raise Foundation Skills So That All People Can Participate in Our Knowledge Society | Home Page | Moving from School to Tertiary Education → Half of the adult population have low functional literacy and numeracyIn 1996, New Zealand participated in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). This survey assessed functional literacy (prose and document) and numeracy in English across the adult population. Functional literacy and numeracy assess the application of literacy and numeracy skills to real life situations. It involves more than just an assessment of the ability to read and manipulate numbers. It assesses the ability to get useful meaning from words and numbers to solve problems. However, this survey measures only some dimensions of foundation competencies and is narrower than the concept being addressed by this strategy. IALS showed that around 20 percent of adult New Zealanders had very poor functional literacy skills and could be expected to experience considerable difficulties in using many of the printed materials that may be encountered in everyday life. About 30 percent more of the population would be able to use some printed material, but this would generally be relatively simple. Only half of the population had the ability to cope with a varied range of material found in everyday life and at work. In aggregate, New Zealand’s results were consistent with results from Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. However, there were differences in age bands. New Zealanders aged 16 to 19 years were about twice as likely to be in the lowest level of literacy compared with the same age group in Australia and Canada.
The survey found that Māori and Pasifika peoples were more likely to have low levels of functional literacy. While it found that 60 percent of Pākehā had adequate levels of functional literacy, only around 30 percent of Māori and Pasifika peoples had adequate levels of functional literacy in English. For Pasifika peoples this reflects, in part, the numbers for whom English is a second language. The survey found a strong relationship between literacy and educational attainment. It showed that completion of secondary schooling was a significant positive influence on the level of literacy and having a tertiary education was related to higher levels of literacy. However, it also found that 20 percent of those with a tertiary education qualification had inadequate functional literacy in English. Within this group, around one-third did not have English as a first language. Of those that did have English as a first language, three-quarters had tertiary qualifications below degree level. Te reo Māori continues to struggle for survivalThe TES recognises that foundation competencies include literacy in te reo Māori. There are currently major efforts to revitalise te reo Māori and increase the number of people who use it and the situations in which it is used. Te reo Māori education through the tertiary sector plays an important role in language revitalisation, as well as maintaining and developing the variety within the language in its use in different situations. The 2001 Census found that there were around 130,000 Māori and 30,000 non-Māori who reported they could speak some Māori. These numbers represent 25 percent and one percent of the populations respectively. Following the Census a survey was undertaken of the Māori population aged 15 years and over, looking at the health of the Māori language. This survey included self-assessment of language proficiency in terms of speaking, listening, reading and writing. The Survey on the Health of the Māori Language found that 15 percent of the Māori population were proficient in at least one or more of these four areas to a level where they could understand or say many things in the language (ie they could speak, write, read or listen ‘well’ or ‘very well’). The proportion of people with higher proficiency increased with age. However, higher proficiency was more common in the 15 to 24 year age group than in the 25 to 34 year age group. This points to a level of success in improving language proficiency in younger speakers.
1 Adequate is defined as level 3 or above on the scales used in the survey. (↑) 2 Proficient is defined as able to speak, write, read or listen well or very well. (↑) ← Raise Foundation Skills So That All People Can Participate in Our Knowledge Society | Home Page | Moving from School to Tertiary Education → Page last modified on 26 November 2006, at 06:29 PM |
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