The perilous state of literacy in Aoteroa New Zealand

A new research report “Now I don’t know by ABC” explores the perilous state of literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand.  The Education Hub’s year-long investigation was prompted by a 2020 Unicef report which found only 64.6% of 15-year-olds in this country have more than a basic proficiency in reading and maths.

The Education Hub’s research involved an extensive literature review exploring how bad things are, how we got here, why  it matters and what can be done to turn the situation around.

SPELD NZ thanks The Education Hub for its comprehensive report. However, we are concerned that the report barely addresses the one thing that would have the greatest impact on reversing the crisis – Structured Literacy. The report calls for systemic change, with Structured Literacy as just one part of that. SPELD NZ says no. Put Structured Literacy at the centre of the change, and most of the systemic elements will improve as a consequence. This could avoid the devastating consequences of illiteracy for many.  There is a moral imperative here that we should be ashamed to ignore.  Read SPELD NZ’s full response to The Education Hub’s report here.

Listen to an interview with the report’s author on Radio New Zealand

The Education Hub is a not-for-profit group that aims to bridge the gap between research and teaching practice.