New report highlights ‘moral imperative’ to improve literacy and numeracy in schools following release of latest figures.

New report highlights ‘moral imperative’ to improve literacy and numeracy in schools following release of latest figures.

In 2022, two in five pupils (41%) completed year 6 without meeting the expected standards in reading, writing and maths. For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the statistics were even worse, with the majority (57%) not reaching the expected standard. In total, over 275,000 children left year 6 without a secure grasp of foundational skills.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)’s latest report, “Crack in our Foundations” points to the attainment gap for primary school children now standing as its widest level in a decade.

This is both shocking and heart-breaking. Evidence shows that children and young people who are insufficiently literate and numerate are ill-equipped to engage in further learning and unable to reach their full potential – and this disadvantage follows them through life. The lack of literacy and numeracy skills contributes to greater social inequality and social exclusion.

“Literacy, numeracy, and oracy are foundational skills which underpin children’s development and life outcomes. Lacking these vital skills can hold a person back at every life stage: from education, to work, to everyday activities.” (page 11)

The report points to three areas to focus improvements: (1) encouraging parental engagement via a National Parent Participation Strategy (2) repairing the damage caused by the COVID pandemic by addressing underlying causes for school absence, and (3) strengthening the school system by: investing in the school workforce, recognising the importance of oracy skills and ensuring that pupils can access targeted support when they need it.

Here at the British Dyslexia Association we welcome the CSJ’s specific recommendations which call for:

• A ring-fenced fund for continuing professional development;
• A plan that enables primary school teachers to better identify and provide support for SEND in the classroom;
• The introduction of oracy education on an equal footing with literacy and numeracy.

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The British Dyslexia Association’s virtual conferences ‘Core skills and creativity: Engaging dyslexic learners with literacy’ and ‘Dyscalculia: The importance of using visual materials in maths learning’ are taking place on 2^nd March 2023 and 18^th May 2023 respectively. Find out more here.