Minister updates strategic literacy plan

Education Minister Judy Foote is encouraging all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take time on Monday, January 27, to celebrate Family Literacy Day. Family Literacy Day is a national initiative that promotes reading and learning together as a family and was created by ABC Canada. Each year, on January 27, Canadian families celebrate this special day at literacy-themed events co-ordinated by literacy organizations, schools and libraries.

"Family Literacy Day is an opportunity for everyone in this province to reflect on how important it is to have a literate society," said Minister Foote. "I encourage all families in the province to celebrate literacy by taking time to read together."

While Family Literacy Day is one day to highlight the importance of literacy, Minister Foote said all people - from the very young to senior citizens - should make reading and the promotion of literacy a part of their daily lives.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to having literacy levels in this province which are among the highest in Canada," said Minister Foote. "While we have made much progress to reach that goal, government continues to work with schools, families and community organizations to improve literacy levels."

In May 2000, Minister Foote launched Words to Live By, government�s literacy plan which sets out strategic directions for increasing literacy levels in Newfoundland and Labrador. Words to Live By addresses literacy from early childhood to adulthood. Today, Minister Foote provided details on how government has been working with its partners to implement recommendations of the literacy plan.

"Words to Live By sets out specific objectives and recommendations. We have made - and continue to make - concerted efforts, together with other literacy stakeholders, to meet our literacy goal," said Minister Foote. "Clearly, any long-term plan must begin with our youngest children."

The Department of Education has allocated over $100,000 to various early childhood development programs throughout Newfoundland and Labrador through the Early Childhood Development Initiative. The department also invested $156,000 this year for KinderStart, a transition-to-school program with resources for the child, parent/caregiver and the teacher; and, for the second year, is offering $50,000 to the top 20 schools whose students read for the greatest number of minutes through the For the Love of Reading Challenge.

Family literacy was also identified in the literacy plan as playing a vital role in increasing provincial literacy levels. Words to Live By recommended a comprehensive media campaign to highlight the importance of literacy. Minister Foote noted: "In September 2001, we launched our Read and Succeed campaign with funding from the National Literacy Secretariat. The response we have received on this campaign has been tremendous and we are now implementing phase II of the campaign. It is imperative we keep the message going that high literacy levels are the key to this province�s future."

Statistics referenced in the Strategic Literacy Plan indicated that 39 per cent of the province�s population aged 25 years and over has less than a high school education. Adult literacy was therefore identified as an area which required considerable work. In 2001, the department commissioned a report on the delivery of Adult Basic Education (ABE) in the province and has acted on its recommendations.

"We recognize the need to improve access to adult literacy programs and ensure quality ABE/Level I programming," said Minister Foote. "The department has secured funding from the National Literacy Secretariat to pilot a new ABE/Level I delivery model at six sites throughout the province starting in September 2003. While the pilot is underway, we will continue to provide funding to those centres which traditionally received support to deliver adult literacy programs."

Minister Foote said government will continue to work with its federal partners at the National Literacy Secretariat and the provincial Literacy Development Council to ensure there is a coordinated approach guiding strategic literacy planning.

"We want to have in this province a culture which values literacy and an integrated approach to literacy development," said Minister Foote. "We are following the strategic directions recommended in Words to Live By and we will continue to support innovative and interesting programs and projects which will increase the literacy levels of everyone. This process will involve evaluating and assessing existing and new initiatives to ensure we are meeting our objectives."

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications, (709) 729-0048.

2003 01 24 1:25 p.m.