Australian's Illiterate Generation

Australian's Illiterate Generation Many children these days are struggling to achieve the normal literacy requirements of their year level. One in five children have severe difficulty with spelling, grammar, reading, writing and proper construction of sentences. This fact alone poses as a predicament to that of Australia’s education system and its future.

When the results of the 2008 literacy and numeracy assessments, conducted by the Commonwealth Government, were released, they caused a stir within the Australian education department. These statistics showed that 5% of year 3 students failed to meet the minimum standards in writing for their age; 13% of year 9 students failed their writing requirement. The spelling and grammar of the year 3 children stood at roughly 8% - 9%, juxtaposed to the year 9 students whom 10% of failed to meet minimum spelling and grammar; a dramatic different between both year levels. (2)

According to the OECD rankings for reading tests, Australia has fallen from second place in 2000, to sixth place in 2006, displaying a sharp decline in Australian literacy skills in a matter of 6 years. According to the Australian Bureau of statistics, literacy skills decline as an individual ages; currently just over half of Australia’s citizens, age 15-74 years of age, can write adequate pros and literacy documents. (2006, ABS)

The Australian Primary Principals Association claims that the current Australian education system being used focuses too predominantly on lifestyle activities and choices, rather than that of the basic essentials of literacy and numeracy.

According to a survey taken in September this year, “96% of 5000 Australian principals and teachers surveyed wanted a simpler, less-crowded curriculum,”(3) with less “add-ons.” They claimed these plethora of extra activities, such as courses in bike education, served as distractions for children from learning the basic essentials of literacy and numeracy. Though the programs may be beneficial to the students currently, it is speculated that the over-crowded curriculum affects the students learning outcomes, especially in that of literacy. So far, the statistics of children’s waning literacy skills over the past decade supports this theory.

Other proposed theories suggest that as students age, they are exposed to things such as msn, mobiles etc, which can result in chat/text-speak, that some students obliviously incorporate into their work over time. Simultaneously, other students are heavily dependent on their spell checks to correct their work; both scenarios are inevitably detrimental to the grading of the student. Especially in written English/Literature exams, where the student is left “defenseless,” and their true literature skills are shown.

Andrew Aston claims that this is typical of this generation Y, the children who grew "up on email and texting where everything is quick and abbreviated and things get missed.” (1)Though, many people support this hypothesis, and others dispel it.

It was reveled last month that first year Tertiary students were being taught basic grammar and punctuation at major Melbourne Universities. The students apparently had not been taught proper grammar and punctuation. This alone displayed a definite drop in education standards, especially for that of Victoria.

Nevertheless, there is one unanimous agreement Australia wide:

The issue has to be resolved. Otherwise, Australians will be at a true literacy disadvantage.

Footnotes:

(1)Johnston, Chris, and Farrah Tomazin. "The death of literacy." The Saturday Age 4 Oct. 2008, First: Insight2-3.

(2)Caroline, Milburn. "Upper primary the 'forgotten' years." The Age 6 Oct. 2008: p3.

(3)?James, O'Loan. "Students missing out on basic literacy, numeracy ski." The Courier Mail 6 Oct. 2008: page unknown.

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