Interview with Joyce Farbairn...continued

Along with others like Peter Gzowski, who began the PGIs around the same time (1988), Senator Fairbairn says she "never put a political label on literacy --it's not that kind of an issue."

"Awareness is primary " is the Senator's response when asked about her significant achievements during the last ten years. She cites the Statistics Canada Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities (LSUDA) and the more recent International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) in 1996, in which Canada participated, as proof of much higher levels of awareness.

Fairbairn considers her role in raising awareness as a significant achievement. In her political life, she says, she " has worked very hard within my party to make it an issue, in the 1988 election and again in 1993. You start where you are, within your own family and just relentlessly keep pushing your issue."

Another advancement she's proud of is the establishment of the Office of Learning Technologies, which was part of her responsibilities, with the NLS, under Human Resources Development Canada.

The increase in NLS funding announced in this year's federal budget means that "now we can take advantage of this additional money, which will be ongoing. The increase will be very much targeted to workplace and family literacy programs. Family literacy is important because it hinges on prevention - and that's where it starts. "

"That -- the 31% increase in NLS funding--was an achievement," she says.

As for her continuing role, Senator Fairbairn says, "we still have a long way to go in Canada. A lot of people don't realize the extent of the varying degrees of difficulty. " (IALS)statistics indicate that more than 40% of working age people have a hard time with the everyday demands of reading, writing and using numbers).

In the future, she hopes to have "more opportunity particularly to meet learners." She says the change she's seen in the role of learners at both the national and provincial levels in ten years is "quite phenomenal." Learners are creating a higher profile for themselves, "becoming active parts of the solution, and this will ultimately contribute to our success."

"In B.C., there is a good mix of literacy programs," says Senator Fairbairn. " It will be a challenge to continue the work." She says B.C. "has contributed enormously to literacy in Canada," and describes the province as, "a leader in the country, along with western Canada generally. "

While there are no plans yet confirmed for her to come west, "I would like to come out to say thank-you to B.C. I really look forward to it.

I'm one partner who will be there --- all the way."