Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy – National Research Report - SRDC

Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy – National Research Report

Authors:Paul LalondeDavid GyarmatiZinaida FoltinSonya Howard

At the core of the National Research Project is the conviction that literacy instruction can provide low-skilled adults living in poverty with the knowledge, confidence, resilience, and autonomy they need to overcome the challenges they face and live productive lives. The positive effects of literacy skills are not limited to economic well-being, however.

Literacy skills are necessary to complete even the most basic tasks in a person’s life. Taken a step further, literacy can empower individuals to make informed choices about their lives. These skills help individuals make better decisions about how to manage their finances, how to manage their health, how to use technology, and how to understand the institutions that govern their lives, which in turn allows them to engage more fully.

Literacy is a key step on the pathway not only to employment but also to broader social inclusion and full participation in valued-dimensions of society such as social, civic, and political engagement that are critical to the inclusion and well-being of all Canadians. The report’s key recommendation is that governments need to recognize literacy as not only a policy priority but a basic human right. Moreover, funders need to expand their thinking beyond support for single projects to include more comprehensive, integrated programs.

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