Select Committee Report into Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Another Nick Boles video - this time the Government's response to the adult literacy and numeracy report

Watch Nick Boles talking about the Government's response to the Commons Select Committee Adult Literacy and Numeracy Report.  

Also on this link is the full pdf report detailing all the evidence.  A couple of things that really drew my attention was that the Army is highlighted for the excellent way in which it delivers Functional Skills (ForSkills and Guroo are delighted to be key suppliers to the Army too).  The committee also noted in the conclusion:

• "We reject the blanket acceptance that GCSEs in English and Maths are the gold standard by which schemes and attainment are measured. GCSEs are not always the most appropriate qualification for adults to work towards"
• "There is no silver bullet to solve the issue of adult literacy and numeracy"
• "Also, there needs to be better assessment of the skills that adults have, when they claim unemployment benefit. That is an ideal opportunity to ensure that claimants are assessed for the skills they need to get a job rather than merely their eligibility for benefits."
• "We are encouraged by the deep commitment and achievements of those engaged in adult learning, but are disturbed by the examples of reductions in Government funding for various schemes, which has caused concern and instability for learners and learning providers alike. This is a short-sighted financial saving which will result in long term costs, as any reduction in provision can only make it harder for adults with limited literacy and numeracy skills to gain employment."