Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

Literacy Taskforce | Themes of the strategy | Changing focus | The Adult Literacy Strategy | Reporting requirements

This section of the site outlines the background to the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy initiated by the New Zealand Ministry of Education.

The strategy arose from the Report of the Literacy Taskforce, published by the Ministry of Education in 1999. It provides direction and alignment for a range of policies, projects, and programmes aimed at improving achievement in literacy and numeracy by learners at every level of New Zealand's education system.

Read the full report at
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/web/document/document_page.cfm?id=3853

The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy does not comprise a single, discrete literacy project. Instead, the strategy acts as a device to provide alignment and consistency for a range of policies, programmes, and projects all focused on improving literacy achievement.

The strategy provides a common set of evidence-based principles to underpin policies and practice.

Three key themes have been used as an organising framework. They are:

• raising expectations for learners' progress and achievement;
• lifting professional capability throughout the system so that everyone plays their part in ensuring that the interaction between teacher and learner is as effective as possible; and
• developing community capability – encouraging and supporting family, whānau and others to help learners

The emphasis of the strategy is on both:

• improving first practice, because the most appropriate and effective literacy programme for most learners is an everyday classroom programme that purposefully integrates all aspects of literacy learning; and
• ensuring that specific interventions for learners with specific, well-identified needs beyond the classroom are timely, appropriate, and well-supported back in the classroom programme.

Over the past three to four years the main focus of the work in literacy has been on years 1 to 4, although programmes such as Literacy Leadership have included years 5 and 6. Gradually this focus is extending to years 7 and 8, and into secondary schools, with special attention being paid to the transition points between them.

The transition from early childhood education to school is another significant focus, with work being done on how early language and literacy develops and how it can be supported (see Te Whāriki Curriculum Update published at the end of 2001).

Within the context of the Literacy Strategy, the language and literacy programmes for students who are speakers of languages other that English are also being reviewed, refined, and expanded so that the particular needs of specific groups of students can be met more effectively.

More than Words is the name given to the New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy, which builds on the work being done in the school sector.

It has the broad goal that over the long-term, New Zealanders should enjoy a level of literacy which enables them to participate fully in all aspects of life, including work, family, and the community, and to have the opportunity to achieve literacy in English and te reo Māori.

The strategy has three key elements:

• developing capability to ensure adult literacy providers deliver quality learning through a highly skilled workforce with high quality teaching resources;
• improving quality systems to ensure that New Zealand programmes are world class; and
• increasing opportunities for adult literacy learning by significantly increasing provision in workplaces, communities, and tertiary institutions;

Four principles underpin the strategy:

• gains for learners will be achieved as quickly as possible;
• programmes will match learners' needs in content and pace;
• best practice, evaluation, and research will guide programme development;
• the range of programmes will be appropriate for the wide diversity of learners.

Read the report, More Than Words: The New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy – PDF format, (1359kb).

Ministry of Education. (2001). More Than Words: The New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy. Wellington: Ministry of Education. ISBN 0477 047114

Reporting requirements

The National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) have been revised to take into account an emphasis on reporting levels of literacy and numeracy in schools. Read the Revised NAGs to see the new reporting requirements.