Dynamic cross-sector partnership improves adult literacy Thursday, March 3, 2011 - 12:19

Commissioners from the Independent Literacy Inquiry have praised the unique partnership behind World Book Day and Quick Reads as being instrumental in helping to improve adult literacy in the UK.

The Independent Literacy Inquiry - which will produce a list of final recommendations in September 2011 - has, in the past few months, received evidence that highlights major challenges in adult literacy provision. One of the main concerns highlighted is that because poor literacy skills affect so many adults it needs co-operation by many partners to reach those who have not yet been helped by the Skills for Life strategy and other issues.

• Around one in six adults in the UK struggle to read and write. Poor skills compromise health, confidence, happiness and employability.
• The UK is 21st in the OECD Human Development Index for adult functional literacy.
• We are falling behind other nations in our educational achievement. In the most recent international league tables of school performance, we fell from 7th to 17th in Literacy, (4th to 14th in science, and 8th to 24th in Maths). Confident parents, grandparents and carers make a huge difference to school achievement.
• Whilst reading books comes naturally to a great number of people, over a third of the adult population admit to not having the time or inclination to read for pleasure in their busy lives.
  

  ...on World Book Day, there's a great model in Quick Reads, of which ten are published today, of how co-operation can lead to wonderful outcomes. Private, public and voluntary sector organisations are all involved in the production and use of Quick Read books.

  Jan Eldred, a literacy expert and an advisor to the Literacy Inquiry

However the Quick Reads initiative has been identified as an effective model which builds on the strengths of several partners:

• top publishers commission bestselling authors to take time out of their schedules to write Quick Reads, which are published annually on World Book Day;
• the Reading Agency produces materials to support the publications and help literacy tutors to optimise their use with learners;
• NIACE is part of the information and outreach initiative and helps in the distribution of Quick Reads to both the adult learning arena and the media;
• national retail organisations, from High Street bookshops to supermarkets, distribute and sell the books; and
• employers use them in workplace literacy learning and reading groups as do trades unions, libraries, health centres, schools and adult learning centres.

Quick Reads in the UK has provided inspiration for similar initiatives in other countries, including Canada, Belgium and Portugal.

Jan Eldred, a literacy expert and an advisor to the Literacy Inquiry, said:

"We know literacy impacts upon families, health, skills, unemployment/employment, offenders. Where there is co-operation from statutory, private and voluntary sector organisations we get effectiveness and efficiency. But this is enormously challenging and policies don't always facilitate such co-operation."

"However, on World Book Day, there's a great model in Quick Reads, of which ten are published today, of how co-operation can lead to wonderful outcomes. Private, public and voluntary sector organisations are all involved in the production and use of Quick Read books."

Books are both a gateway to and symbol of an empowered society; and it is a matter of great regret to me that so many of our citizens still have literacy problems which prevent them from enjoying them

Lord Boswell, Chair of the Literacy Inquiry

"The Inquiry is identifying how we need to mobilise more inter-agency working, including the contribution of volunteers, alongside employers and statutory organisations to offer more ‘joined up' opportunities for people to develop their literacy skills. Lifelong literacy networks are emerging as a future recommendation and the Quick Reads model for World Book Day is a remarkable example of how this model works."

Lord Boswell, Chair of the Literacy Inquiry, said:

"As Chair of Commissioners of the current literacy inquiry, I welcome the great initiative of World Book Day. Books are both a gateway to and symbol of an empowered society; and it is a matter of great regret to me that so many of our citizens still have literacy problems which prevent them from enjoying them. As a modern society, we have simply got to tackle this together."