Labour calls for national debate on literacy problem

According to the recently published report on literacy levels in Europe, Malta has a 36% illiteracy rate, placing it in the 25th position out of the EU27. The only countries to fare worse were Romania and Bulgaria.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo explained that the report, compiled by the EU high level group of experts on literacy, does not only measure the levels of literacy but also includes a number of recommendations based on good practices in other European countries. "The problem of literacy does not only concern the educational system. It effects the country's democratic, economic and social development," Bartolo said.

He noted that the report calls for educational, cultural, social and economic initiatives, adding that the problem was a European-wide concern. Bartolo described the report as a "roadmap" for Malta to resolve its illiteracy problems.

He stressed the issue must top the country's priorities and all major stakeholders should be involved in a national debate on the matter. Bartolo also called for the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development to include the issue on its agenda.

The report also highlighted a significant gender gap, with 13.3% of low achievers among girls compared with 26.6% for boys. The former Labour education minister said the report shows that Malta has the highest rate of illiteracy among boys. In Malta, the illiteracy rate among boys stands at 48.4% and 24.4% among girls.

While MP explained that the United Nations defines an illiterate person as someone who cannot, read and write a short, simple statement in the native language. He added that the OECD's report is based on three levels of literacy, baseline, functional and multiple.

The OECD's PISA literacy rates are based on three standards: multiple literacy, which is the ability to use 13 reading and writing skills in order to produce, understand, interpret and critically evaluate multimodal texts; functional literacy, which is the ability to read and write at a level that enables development and functioning in society at home, school and work; and baseline literacy, which is the ability to read and write at a level that enables self-confidence, and motivation for further development.

Bartolo said: "A literacy unit must be set up in order to tackle the issue holistically. This requires a national effort and no political divide should get in the way." He said it was worrying that Malta scored badly and Malta was not mentioned in any of the good practice examples given in the report.

"The report also highlights the great importance of the first three years of a child's learning experience. Studies show that kids under three years who grow up in an environment that encourages learning have a one year advantage over kids who do not grow in a similar environment," the MP said.

Asked whether the Labour Party still insists with its 2008 electoral pledge to introduce an additional year of schooling, Bartolo said this measure has already become an option for parents in Malta as some kindergartens do accept children at younger ages.

"We must be careful not to turn this into a political issue. For the sake of our children we must invest in the 0-3 years age group and strengthen the educational experience of children from a very tender age," the MP said.

He noted that although Malta has a very high participation rate of children at kindergarten level, the country only has 8% of 0-3 year olds at child care centres which Bartolo stressed must be educational stimulating centres "and not simple parking lots."

The report, unveiled last week at a conference in Nicosia hosted by the Cyprus Presidency of the EU, provided examples of successful literacy projects in European countries.

The EU's Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou, said Europe desperately needs to improve its literacy standards having up to 19.7% of 15-year-olds who one in five and 75 million adults lacking basic reading and writing skills.

EU Education Ministers have set a joint target to reduce the ratio of 15-year-olds with poor reading skills from 20% at present to 15% by 2020.

The 80-page report included a number of recommendations, ranging from advice for parents on creating a culture of reading for pleasure with their children, to siting libraries in unconventional settings like shopping centres and the need to attract more male teachers to act as role models for boys, who read much less than girls.

It also made age-specific recommendations, calling for free, high-quality early childhood education and care for all, more specialist reading teachers in primary schools, a change of mind-set on dyslexia, arguing that almost every child can learn to read with the right support, and for more varied learning opportunities for adults, especially in the workplace.