What is literacy?

I’ve always understood literacy to be the ability to read and write.  Last Wednesday (9/24/2008) was Canwest Raise-a-reader Day and that day’s StarPhoenix included a supplement headlined “Celebrate Literacy Today.”  Given that, wouldn’t you assume that they mean to celebrate the ability to read?  I did.

So, I was quite surprised to read that one-third of Saskatchewan residents are illiterate including 60% of off-reserve aboriginals.  Okay, so they actually said that those residents “scored below the minimum level for understanding day-to-day documents.”  Huh?

The stats are from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills survey.  It includes prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy and problem solving.  Not just literacy as we know it.  The scale results in an overall score from 1 to 5 and <3 is designated as not able to function successfully in a “knowledge based society.”  Not just literacy.

I’m not saying that this scale doesn’t give useful information.  However, encouraging reading and teaching adults to improve literacy is quite a bit different from the type of “literacy” measured in the survey.  If you’re interested, skim the survey.  You’ll see that some of what it measures is IQ, education effect, natural aptitude, etc.

So, encourage reading.  It’s a good thing.  Encourage people to read newspapers (although there are better sources of news).  Just don’t think it’s going to reduce the number of people with low scores on a “literacy & life skills” survey.

Actually, on a related note, I’ve had quite enough of the Literacy for Life initiative in the Saskatoon Public Schools.  I’m tired of keeping track of how many minutes or pages or books my children have read.  It’s just busy work.  Parents keep track so teachers can compile stats to pass on to the principals so they can write reports for the administration.  Busy work.  Enough already.  Might I suggest a focus on math and science?  So the next time I buy a Froster at Mac’s, the clerk could actually make change?