Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1454: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on adopting the highly successful Cuban teaching method Yo Sí Puedo or yes I can literacy programme here in view of the literacy problems in this State. [1094/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Yo Si Puedo is a framework for teaching literacy to populations of adults who have had no previous experience of literacy education. It has been adopted or trialled in 22 countries, mainly in Latin America and Africa which have high levels of poverty and low levels of education indicators; their demographic and socio-cultural backgrounds would be largely similar to each other, but very dissimilar to Western Europe.

According to a UNESCO study on the effectiveness and feasibility of this literacy training method, several of the stakeholders interviewed noted that Yo Si Puedo "lacks the holistic view and approach required to effectively address the diversity in forms of communication, types of languages and varying needs of learners in different sociocultural contexts." It is based on a very narrow conception of literacy, which excludes numeracy and the wide range of social literacies necessary for participation in a modern complex society.

Approaches to adult literacy education in Ireland, although sharing some of the audio-visual methodologies of Yo Si Puedos, are based on a model that integrates literacy learning with other aspects of adult education, personal and social development. In contrast, Yo Si Puedo is narrowly focused on teaching and learning discrete reading and writing skills. Therefore it is considered that the Yo Si Puedo approach would not suit the Irish context.

An increase of €7.5 million, or 21%, is being provided in the budget for Adult Literacy and Community Education, which will allow for 3,000 additional literacy places in 2007. This will bring the total number of literacy places to 38,000.

With regard to literacy in schools, DEIS, the educational inclusion action plan, is designed to ensure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities benefit from the maximum level of support available. Achievement of proficiency in literacy and numeracy is a crucial educational objective.

Under the new National Development Plan 2007-13, the goal is to reduce the proportion of pupils with serious literacy difficulties in primary schools serving disadvantaged communities from the current 27-30% to less than 15% by 2016. These measures include:

additional literacy and numeracy advisers for the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP) to support and advise schools in adopting an effective whole-school approach.

extra resources will be made available for intensive professional development programmes for teachers.

availability of the Reading Recovery and First Steps Programmes will be extended.

the further development of paired reading initiatives implemented through the Home School Community Liaison Scheme will be supported.

after school and holiday time supports assisting children's literacy will be further developed.

whole school literacy strategies under the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) will be further supported and extended (including the extension of the JCSP Demonstration Library Project).

recognising the vital role of parents and other family members in children's literacy development, a new family literacy project has been initiated.