In the second and final report on the three Rs, the Gazette reports on how north Essex is tackling those problems in adults.

You sit curled up in a chair, a book in the crook of your arm.

You are lost, utterly lost, in the words as imagination takes hold.

But what if those words were indecipherable? What if they meant nothing? For those who take reading and writing for granted, words registering as nothing more than shapes would be a nonsense. But it isn’t a nonsense to many adults (16-plus) in the UK. To them, the written word really doesn’t mean anything.

Some have greater difficulty than others, but, for the majority, the greatest difficulty is in admitting the problem in the first place.

It isn’t just literacy. There is as big a dilemma when it comes to numeracy.

In fact, more people struggle with mathematics than language. Trouble is, they don’t mind admitting it, and are less likely to bring themselves up to scratch.

Yet they should. Without those basic skills – reading, writing and arithmetic, the three Rs – society won’t progress. It’s as big a deal as that.

“Literacy and numeracy are embedded in everything,” declared Fiona Barclay. “However, just because a person has had difficulty with literacy and numeracy, it in no way means he or she is unintelligent.

“There are lots of barriers to learning. Children today lead complex lives. Some move around a lot and are never in the classroom at the right time.

“Then there are those who have problems at home – perhaps parents have separated – and they are unable to concentrate at school, maybe for months.

“Those months could be crucial to learning to read or being taught the basics of mathematics.”

Ms Barclay is acting learning skills manager at Colchester Institute.

This is Essex’s largest vocational college – it has more than 10,500 full and part-time students – and, last year, 144 adult learners enrolled on the college’s free literacy and numeracy programmes.

“It is not right for any particular person to learn a particular skill at a particular time,” she pointed out.

“Just because someone does not have a skill in his or her teens, does not mean they are slipping through the net.

“All learning, all education is a lifelong process.”

But for their sake – and the sake of the economy – literacy and numeracy are essential. This is one of the reasons why businesses are signing up at the institute to the Government’s Train to Gain to help boost workers’ skills.

“There’s another reason, too, why having numeracy and literacy skills is so important,” said Ms Barclay. “In the near-future, students will only receive vocational diplomas if they have the necessary numeracy, literacy and ITC skills.”

Then see what you can achieve.

HOW BAD IS IT?

Literacy and numeracy among 16 to 65-year-olds has improved thanks to post-secondary education. This training – in colleges such as Colchester Institute and by agencies authorised by the Learning and Skills Council – culminates in examinations at three levels:

  • 1.1 million people (3 per cent of 16-65s) have passed a level one (equivalent to GCSE D-G) literacy/numeracy examination
  • 600,000 (2.2 per cent) have a level 2 (equivalent to GCSE A-C)
  • 3.5 million (11 per cent) have level 3.

This is an improvement on 2003 (when 5.2 million people, 16 per cent of 16-65s, would not have passed English or maths GCSEs) and on 1999 (seven million people, 20 per cent of 16-65s).

At the time, an official survey found that 29 per cent of 16-65s (11 million people) could not calculate the area of a floor, and more than ten per cent were unable to understand the instructions on a packet of seeds.

Fewer than one per cent of school-leavers and adults can be described as illiterate, but basic skills might be insufficient to meet the demands of many occupations

  • 12 per cent of young adults (16-25s) have problems with reading, writing, spelling or basic maths.

WHAT IS ‘TRAIN TO GAIN’?

Train to Gain is the national skills service run by the Government agency, the Learning and Skills Council – whose remit is to make England better skilled and more competitive – for firms of all sizes and in all sectors It aims to improve employees’ skills which will have the knock-on effect of improving business performance. The service offers skills advice on everything from Investors in People, basic skills through to leadership and management training.

The council’s goal is to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to ensure a world-class workforce.

  • North Essex firms that want more information should ring East of England Train to Gain on 0800 387 326 or the visit website traintogaineast.co.uk COLCHESTER INSTITUTE AND ADULT LEARNING

    Colchester Institute holds the following open classes in adult literacy and mumeracy:
  • Adult literacy, Tuesday, 6pm-8pm Contact: Angelina Hewitt 01206 712351
  • Adult literacy, Wednesday, 9am till noon Contact: Romina Betts 01206 712757
  • Adult numeracy, Thursday, 6pm-8pm; Friday, 9am-12 noon Contact: Viv Walford 01206 712770 For more information, ring Romina Betts, adult literacy and numeracy course leader, on 01206 712757.