Family Literacy Week capped by major announcements

Province unveils ReadNow strategy

Groundbreaking report released
on the State of Learning in Canada

Family Literacy Week, in the third week of January each year, is BC’s celebration of the effective work of family literacy programs, reminding everyone that literacy starts at home. This year, it culminated in a series of major developments.

On Friday January 26, at the Summit on Learning and Literacy, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the first phase of the government’s ReadNow action plan, including new investments totaling $27 million.

One element is a toll-free hotline (1-888-READ-234) operated by Literacy BC. There is an extensive network of literacy services in communities across the province. The toll-free line will help British Columbians find and access the literacy programs and resources that meet their diverse needs. Interpretation services will be available for people who speak languages other than English.

The strategy also details funding for Literacy Now, Ready Set Learn, StrongStart Early Learning Centres, the Community Adult Literacy Program, Early Learning Grants, and more. “We welcome these investments as important steps towards addressing BC's literacy challenge,” says Cynthia Whitaker, Executive Director of Literacy BC. “We look forward to the announcement of the further phases planned for the ReadNow strategy.”

A timely reminder of the crucial importance of literacy skills to Canada’s society and economy was delivered earlier on January 26, at Literacy BC’s Breakfast of Champions, where over 200 people gathered to celebrate the commitment of BC’s dedicated champions of literacy. Following welcoming remarks from Education Minister Shirley Bond, renowned children’s author Robert Munsch, and others, Dr Paul Cappon of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) launched the first annual report on the ‘State of Learning in Canada’, appropriately sub-titled ‘No Time for Complacency’.

Analysing reliable data from multiple sources, the report identifies literacy as the critical foundation for the development of the human resources Canadians need to prosper. Among its many findings:

• More than four in ten Canadians lack the literacy skills needed to succeed in today’s economy.
• 700,000 Canadians are in jobs that demand higher literacy than they possess. Yet employer-sponsored training is far less available here than in other countries.
• One in four children enters kindergarten with a learning or behavioural problem. Yet Canada ranks last among 14 OECD nations in its level of public commitment to early childhood learning.
• More than half of the Canadian population lacks the literacy skills to manage their health. The problem is especially acute among those over 65. Seven out of eight senior citizens lack the ability to understand the information necessary to take charge of their own health.

Literacy BC urges governments at every level to heed the evidence, and work together to make improving the literacy skills of people of all ages a national priority.