ID :
172965
Mon, 04/04/2011 - 14:18
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http://m.oananews.org//node/172965
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Govt defends literacy, numeracy in schools
The federal government has defended its literacy and numeracy funding and program in light of a damning report on the basic skills of working Australians.
The Industry Skills Councils' No More Excuses report shows almost half of Australia's working population does not have the literacy or numeracy skills required to study a trade or perform professional jobs.
As a result between seven and eight million Australians are in danger of being confined to low-wage jobs with little prospect of improvement.
The skills councils warn without improvement in reading and writing skills Australian industry will not remain internationally competitive.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Anderson said there was a problem in Australian schools.
"Unless the schooling system is able to create people with some of those basic skills then we're going to find students who have deficient numeracy and literacy behind the eight ball when they are applying for jobs," Mr Anderson told ABC Television on Monday.
The skills councils have called on the government to develop a blueprint to boost language, literacy and numeracy across all education sectors, with the support of employers and educators.
Mr Anderson said business was having to pick up the load and shouldn't be the primary provider of basic literacy and numeracy education in Australia.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the government had promised 2650 trades training centres in 2007 but had delivered only 31 so far.
"So, what we need to do is get back to basics and ensure that our schools are teaching kids the basics," Mr Abbott told reporters in Coffs Harbour.
"They've got to be able to read, they've got to be able to write, they've got to be able to count, they've got to be able to think."
A real education revolution would teach students the basics well, not waste billions on overpriced school halls, Mr Abbott said.
School Education Minister Peter Garrett is responsible for delivery of trades training centres in schools.
A spokesman for Mr Garrett said two years into the 10-year program, 70 projects had been completed.
More than $1 billion had been awarded for 288 projects that would benefit 927 schools.
"We won't be lectured by the coalition on education when they did nothing to drive education reform for more than a decade and they have now proposed $2.8 billion worth of education funding cuts," the spokesman said.
A record $64.9 billion had been spent on schools under the Gillard government, including $540 million for literacy and numeracy improvement programs under national partnerships with the states and territories.
Skills Minister Chris Evans said investment in language, literacy and numeracy had doubled since the current government was elected.
Language, literacy and numeracy programs were in place for 20,000 job seekers this year and the government had put in a lot of effort to boost literacy and numeracy in schools, Senator Evans said.
"There are major programs put in place by the Gillard government and a big investment made in the last budget," he told ABC Radio.
"Those are flowing through now."
There were proposals before the government to increase the size of the program for job seekers, but with a tight budget ahead it may be difficult to expand the program, the minister said.
The Industry Skills Councils' No More Excuses report shows almost half of Australia's working population does not have the literacy or numeracy skills required to study a trade or perform professional jobs.
As a result between seven and eight million Australians are in danger of being confined to low-wage jobs with little prospect of improvement.
The skills councils warn without improvement in reading and writing skills Australian industry will not remain internationally competitive.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Anderson said there was a problem in Australian schools.
"Unless the schooling system is able to create people with some of those basic skills then we're going to find students who have deficient numeracy and literacy behind the eight ball when they are applying for jobs," Mr Anderson told ABC Television on Monday.
The skills councils have called on the government to develop a blueprint to boost language, literacy and numeracy across all education sectors, with the support of employers and educators.
Mr Anderson said business was having to pick up the load and shouldn't be the primary provider of basic literacy and numeracy education in Australia.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the government had promised 2650 trades training centres in 2007 but had delivered only 31 so far.
"So, what we need to do is get back to basics and ensure that our schools are teaching kids the basics," Mr Abbott told reporters in Coffs Harbour.
"They've got to be able to read, they've got to be able to write, they've got to be able to count, they've got to be able to think."
A real education revolution would teach students the basics well, not waste billions on overpriced school halls, Mr Abbott said.
School Education Minister Peter Garrett is responsible for delivery of trades training centres in schools.
A spokesman for Mr Garrett said two years into the 10-year program, 70 projects had been completed.
More than $1 billion had been awarded for 288 projects that would benefit 927 schools.
"We won't be lectured by the coalition on education when they did nothing to drive education reform for more than a decade and they have now proposed $2.8 billion worth of education funding cuts," the spokesman said.
A record $64.9 billion had been spent on schools under the Gillard government, including $540 million for literacy and numeracy improvement programs under national partnerships with the states and territories.
Skills Minister Chris Evans said investment in language, literacy and numeracy had doubled since the current government was elected.
Language, literacy and numeracy programs were in place for 20,000 job seekers this year and the government had put in a lot of effort to boost literacy and numeracy in schools, Senator Evans said.
"There are major programs put in place by the Gillard government and a big investment made in the last budget," he told ABC Radio.
"Those are flowing through now."
There were proposals before the government to increase the size of the program for job seekers, but with a tight budget ahead it may be difficult to expand the program, the minister said.
