ACER News | 9 October 2013
The existence of large numbers of Australians with low literacy and numeracy skills has a negative impact on individuals, the economy and productivity, according the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
Results from the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) have been released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Developed with the support of ACER, the study assessed people aged 15-74 years in 25 countries in terms of proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in a technology-rich environment.
David Tout, Senior Research Fellow at ACER and a member of the Numeracy Expert Group for PIAAC, said Australia needs to lift the skill levels of its population to ensure a healthy society and a robust economy.
The 21st century requires its citizens and workers to have increasingly higher-level literacy and numeracy skills, Despite stories about those extremely rare individuals who say they have made it without being able to read, write or understand mathematics, research based on international surveys like PIAAC demonstrates that, for the vast majority of people, low levels of literacy and numeracy have a negative impact on their social and economic future. It is therefore in the best interests of the individual, of society and of the economy to support and enhance everyone’s literacy and numeracy skills.Access to higher levels of literacy and numeracy, no matter the starting point and no matter the age or background, is crucial and has many benefits.
ACER’s annual National Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment conference for 2014 will focus on the results of the PIAAC and PISA studies and their implications for Australia.
How Australia rates internationally on adult literacy
