Written answers
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Department of Education and Skills
Literacy Levels
9:00 pm
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 229: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if in view of information gained from the recent programme for international student assessment figures on literacy and to ensure that data are fully comparable to the 1995 survey, if he will ensure that the forthcoming survey on adult literacy levels will gather information which is capable of distinguishing between persons on the basis of what their native language is. [9417/11]
Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
The forthcoming survey referred to by the Deputy is the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). PIAAC is being organised by the OECD and Ireland's participation is being funded by my Department. The survey will be administered in Ireland by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Results are expected to be published in 2013.
PIAAC will provide data, including data around country of birth and language, that is comparable to the 1995 survey referred to by the Deputy (the OECD International Adult Literacy Survey, IALS, published in 1997).
The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) addressed the literacy skills of 15 years olds while IALS and PIAAC address the skills of adults between the ages of 16-64. Therefore, comparisons are less straightforward. The OECD is currently examining how the results of PIAAC might be compared with those of PISA.
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 230: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons participating in State-supported adult literacy programmes in each year from 1997 to the latest available figures. [9418/11]
Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table, including the latest updated figures for 2010. They include participants in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses which are also funded under the Adult Literacy scheme.
Adult Literacy Programme Statistics 1997-2010
| Year | No of Participants |
| 1997 | 5,000 |
| 1998 | 5,000 |
| 1999 | 13,000 |
| 2000 | 17,150 |
| 2001 | 22,732 |
| 2002 | 28,363 |
| 2003 | 31,579 |
| 2004 | 33,873 |
| 2005 | 35,738 |
| 2006 | 40,678 |
| 2007 | 45,812 |
| 2008 | 49,962 |
| 2009 | 47,600 |
| 2010 | 54,000 |
No comments