Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of adults by age who have literacy issues in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the number of adults who have numeracy issues by age; the measures he is taking to address the needs of these persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51231/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey measures adults’ proficiency in key information-processing skills - literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments - and gathers information and data on how adults use their skills at home, at work and in the wider community. The survey is conducted once every ten years (the last survey was published in 2013) and therefore records for the individual years requested are not available.

Ireland was one of 25 countries that participated in the first round of the OECD’s PIAAC survey in 2011-12, which was primarily undertaken to provide data on key adult skills, namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Ireland had the third highest response rate of participating countries at 72%, with almost 6,000 adults between the ages of 16 and 65 responding to the survey.

The survey found that on the literacy scale, Irish adults achieved an adjusted mean score of 266, slightly above the survey average score of 265, placing Ireland 19 out of the 34 countries that participated to date.

At the lower levels of proficiency, 17.9% of Irish adults scored at or below level 1 for literacy proficiency compared to the survey average of 20.3% of adults across the 34 participating countries. This was an improvement when compared to the 1997 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), in which 22% of Irish adults were assessed as being at Level 1 or below.

Ireland will also participate in the next PIAAC survey, which will be published in 2023.

Adult literacy provision is delivered through a number of dedicated programmes delivered by the overall Education and Training Board (ETB) adult literacy service. Last year, over €33million was provided to support adult literacy and numeracy provision for over 60,000 beneficiaries, with a further 16,000 availing of www.writeon.ie, an interactive web site to help people improve their reading, writing and numbers skills online.

A number of key policy initiatives/strategies are being implemented which are expected to improve Ireland’s outcomes in the key areas. These include the implementation of the recommendations of the adult literacy review published in 2013 via the Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy 2014 -2019 and the FET Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. These included the recommendation that participants on adult literacy programmes are offered more intensive provision, with a minimum of six hours a week. Since the publication of the FET Strategy, a number of other strategies have been published which include recommendations relevant to promoting literacy and numeracy through the use of technology enhanced learning and building the competence of learning practitioners and associates in the FET sector to deliver stand alone and integrated literacy and numeracy provision. The FET Literacy and Numeracy Strategy sets out 12 inter- related elements which aim to promote, develop and encourage literacy and numeracy skills in the adult population.

Progress to date includes the development and launch of the national awareness campaign, ‘Take the First Step’, development of national guidelines for the initial and on-going screening and assessment of participants, and the publication of a number of research projects including the examination of integrating literacy and numeracy in FET programmes and an examination of barriers to participation in FET programmes.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children by age who have literacy issues in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the number of children who have numeracy issues by age; the measures he is taking to address the needs of these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51232/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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In July 2011 the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy - Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011-2020 - was published. It set out to raise standards in literacy and numeracy in early years and school settings. It recognised the importance of these key skills for all aspects of day-to-day life and learning. Circulars 56/2011 for the primary sector and 25/2012 for the post-primary sector provided information on steps to be taken by schools under the Strategy, including the allocation of additional teaching time to both literacy and numeracy.

An interim review was published in 2017. The review shows that standards in literacy and numeracy have risen with Ireland’s students ranked highly in international surveys, particularly in literacy. To build on these achievements the review sets out updated and ambitious targets for literacy and numeracy in schools so as to further improve the standards for the all learners with specific focus on our lowest and highest achieving students. Specific targets for disadvantaged schools have also been included. Publication of the DEIS Plan 2017 is a significant step and its implementation will be the vehicle for driving progress in terms of improving educational outcomes including literacy for pupils at greatest risk of not achieving their full potential. Achievement of targets under the Literacy and Numeracy review will be measured through the National Assessments of English Reading and Mathematics (NAERM) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The Action Plan for Education 2018 sets out focussed actions in order to close the gap in literacy and numeracy among our learners, this focus will continue.

The Department of Education and Skills does not hold data on individual children in terms of literacy or numeracy issues. These issues are assessed and managed at a school level.

Standardised Testing results from primary schools, come to the Department in an amalgamated form. The purpose of these tests is to inform the development of school profiles, to allocate special education teachers to schools and to inform national education policy.

Measures and supports, such as those listed below, are available for schools to assist them in addressing the needs of a particular student. It is up to schools to adopt these supports as they see fit.

- The Department has set out the Continuum of Support framework to assist schools in identifying and responding to pupils’ needs. This framework helps to ensure that interventions are incremental, moving from class-based interventions to more intensive and individualised support, and that they are informed by careful monitoring of progress.

- Many children require additional teaching support in schools. In such circumstances, the classroom teacher is supported by Special Educational Needs Teachers, who will have access to additional training in the area of special education, and who will work closely with the class teacher to provide additional teaching support for children with special educational needs.

- The classroom teacher, in consultation with the Special Educational Needs Teacher as required, will consider ways in which the curriculum can be differentiated or adapted to suit the needs of individual pupils. This may also involve identifying the most appropriate teaching strategies and programmes to meet the child’s needs, and deciding which additional teaching supports are required. Parents should normally be consulted as part of this process.

- The Department has produced Guidelines for Primary Schools: Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools in consultation with the National Educational Psychological Services, the Inspectorate and Special Education Section. This gives guidance to schools in how to use additional resources to support children with learning difficulties and special educational needs either within the classroom or in a smaller learning support context