Androulla Vassiliou,

Princess Laurentien

of The Netherlands

Literacy is essential in modern life. In societies dominated by the written word, it is a fundamental requirement for citizens of all ages. Literacy empowers individuals: it is crucial to parenting, finding and keeping a job, being an active consumer, managing your health and taking advantage of the digital world, both socially and at work.

Yet a startlingly high number of Europeans do not have sufficient literacy skills to fulfil these roles. Nearly 75 million adults lack the basic skills they need to function fully in society. The next generation is on course to do no better. The latest results from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that one in five 15-year-olds in the EU has poor reading skills. Europe has made very little progress over the past decade in reducing this percentage. Even as literacy becomes more necessary, reading levels have actually stagnated.

The recent publication of the first PISA results for Malta shows that the situation is particularly serious in Malta. Latest statistics show that the ratio of low achievers in reading among 15-year-olds is 36.3 per cent, considerably higher than the EU average (19.6 per cent in 2009). Moreover, Malta has the highest gender gap in the EU, as low achievement is twice more prevalent among boys (48.4 per cent) than among girls (24.4 per cent).

The current statistics do not bode well for the future. People with low literacy are less likely to finish school, more likely to be unemployed, especially in times of crisis, and more likely to suffer from poor health. Poor literacy thwarts aspiration and ambition. Children of adults with poor literacy skills are more likely to struggle in reading. More broadly, poor literacy limits personal development and civic participation, increases poverty, hinders innovation, reduces productivity and holds back economic growth.

In February 2011, the European Commission set up a high-level group of experts on literacy to assess the issue in-depth and to identify possible solutions. Its findings, presented on 6 September, show that, through a combination of approaches, literacy is a solvable problem and that we can achieve our goal of 100 per cent functional literacy in Europe.

Dispelling the myths

The report dispels some widely held misconceptions: that poor literacy mostly affects migrants and those on the margins of society, that responsibility for improving skills lies with schools and that it is too late to do anything about literacy once a child finishes primary school.

In reality, the vast majority of children and adults with poor literacy skills are not migrants – they were born and raised in the country they live in and speak its language as their mother tongue. Schools play an important role but are not solely responsible. A broad range of actors shape literacy development, from parents and peers to health services and others. While millions of children enter secondary school with poor reading skills, they can develop good or even excellent literacy skills if they receive adequate teacher support. Employers have a vital role to play after formal education.

Addressing literacy is not expensive in the long run. Investment in high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is one of the best investments countries can make in Europe’s future human capital. Children who have benefited from ECEC are more literate and do better at school. Studies show that if Europe achieved its current 2020 benchmark of functional literacy of 85 per cent of 15-year-olds, as well the 85 per cent targets in maths and science, this could lead to a GDP gain of €21 trillion over the lifetime of the generation born in 2010.

What can be done to raise standards?

Raising literacy levels requires political ownership and cooperation across the political spectrum and beyond. Governments, local and regional authorities, schools, employers and NGOs need to work together to address the problem effectively.

The report highlights three main areas for action:

Firstly, the need to create a more literate environment. Reading materials need to be easily available at home, in schools and beyond, on paper and online. This includes, for instance, siting libraries in unconventional settings such as shopping centres. Parents need help to improve their own skills and confidence to encourage their children to read for pleasure.

Secondly, we need to raise the level of literacy teaching and provide more reading support. Raising quality begins with high qualification requirements for all teachers. Initial and continuous professional development of all teachers, including secondary subject teachers, should cover literacy and digital know-how explicitly.

Thirdly, we must achieve fairer and more inclusive participation in literacy learning. We need to close the socio-economic gap, which is the single biggest factor in poor literacy. Ensuring access to good quality early childhood education and care, avoiding early differentiation of children by ability, avoiding class repetition, and providing all necessary support and material for children’s needs (by funding books, clothes and lunches, for example), can help narrow this gap.

Action is also needed to tackle the gender gap; across the EU as a whole, girls account for 13.3 per cent of low achievers compared with 26.6 per cent for boys. We need to make reading and writing relevant to boys’ preferences and attract more men into education to act as role models.

Newly-arrived migrants, adults and children alike, must have access to language and literacy screening and flexible language learning opportunities to close the migrant gap which exists in some circumstances.

Finally, we need to close the digital gap that affects the poor and disadvantaged especially; more digital and non-formal digital practices should be used in classrooms and in adult education to boost motivation to engage in reading and writing.

We believe this report is a wake-up call to the literacy crisis that affects every country in Europe. If there is one most important message to European governments, it is that we need to raise our aspirations. We cannot be satisfied with less than a 100 per cent literate Europe.

Androulla Vassiliou is European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and H.R.H. Princess Laurentien of The

Netherlands is Chair of the High-Level Group of Experts on Literacy