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Literacy progress 'dismal', say MPs
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent29 Jan 2009
MILLIONS of adults cannot read or write well enough to score a decent grade at GCSE, MPs warned today.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee condemned the "dismal" progress ministers have made in improving the nation's literacy and numeracy levels.
Despite a £5billion Government drive to boost the three Rs, "an unacceptably high number" of people still struggle with the basics, the committee found.
The MPs demanded urgent action to recruit more English and maths teachers in schools.
Reader views (4)
You're all making a huge fuss over nothing. I've actually taken my young daughter to one of the rhyme time sessions and the point of changing the words is to make them more accessible to very young children. The words are easy to follow - but more importantly they love the actions. Bookstart is an amazing programme and I have found it to be an excellent way to encourage even very small toddlers to get involved with poetry and to have fun. Get some perspective people.
- May, South London, 29/01/2009 17:49
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wAASa mater wif you poeple* Edukaton Edukatoin Edukaton was BLIARS motto and is gud enuf for him it gud enuf for me
iVe got loasd of A levells and noW at uni init
- Roger, Surrey, 29/01/2009 15:02
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Teachers are reluctant to use a rote system and regard spelling tests as elitist and divisive. They eschew hard academic effort and prefer wishy-washy to rigour. If a 16 year old cannot write good English after 11 years of full-time education then the system should be scrapped and compulsory education abolished.
- Neil, london uk,, 29/01/2009 12:43
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But surely GCSE's are all coursework based and the adults in question could simply get someone else to do the work for them? That's what all the kids do.
- Bob, Cheam, 29/01/2009 10:50
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