Parental engagement in education

 Parents can be bombarded with information about how to support their children in school, and in the home environment. This includes areas such as how to set up a home study space to techniques for reading, to helping their child with assignments.

As students prepare to return to school in the next week, Graham Jaeshke, the Opinion Writer in The Advertiser, South Australia, reminds us all about the school/home partnership and the value of engagement by parents in their child's education.

However, for some parents this is extremely difficult.

When 44% of the Australian adult population has non functional literacy (ABS #4228, 2013) there will be many parents in the school environment who would have difficulty being engaged with their child's education, no matter how much they want to.  Start to make a list of all the documents and information parents need to read and understand to be able to participate.

Here is the start of your list

Enrolment form

Open Day - meetings, school, visits

Uniform policy and uniform rules

Photo permission forms

ICT Policy and permission

Excursion notices

Parent teacher information letters and appointments

Acceptable behaviour policy - students and parents

Newsletter

Illness Rules

Management of Lice

Mobile phone school policy and rules

Asthma and Epipen regulations and rules

Volunteer requests

Reading at Home expectations

What else do you expect parents to be able to read, understand and use functionally?

This is the beginning of your journey with Easy English.

Contact me for further details or to request a quote to begin your own journey introducing Easy English to your school or organisation.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Access Easy English

Consultant – Speech Pathologist
Telephone: 0466 579 855
Email: cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

Website: www.accesseasyenglish.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accesseasyenglish (our recent projects)

Twitter: @accesseasyengli 

Computer Literacy and Easy English

Have you ever thought about how much reading is involved in accessing a computer, or the internet?

If you can read well, you probably have not.

An article in this week’s Age newspaper (Melbourne) summarised the findings from recent Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority research on Australian student’s use of computers and the internet. This is in-line with other research in the domain of computer literacy from ABS # 4228, 2013 and also ehealth literacy, both for Australian students and international students. This weeks research states 48% of Year 10 students have non functional computer skills to manage and process information. The ABS data identified non functional use of technology, that is, adults unable to use the computer based testing, and instead used paper based testing was 24%.  A significantly higher proportion of people were recognised as having non functional computer based problem solving skills. (Over 70%) This is consistent with many other OECD countries.

It would surprise many to hear the computer literacy for accessing meaningful information is extremely low, and in fact is non functional for a high proportion of the population. This is not about use of social media, and Instagram and such, it is about meaningful searches, access and use the breadth of information on the internet.

Then, consider the older population. Do you have older relatives or friends who do not own a computer, laptop or iPad? I do.  Do some own a computer, but are not connected to the internet? Yes, I can think of some people here too.

Often clients in group homes (called CRU's) or people in SRU's, do not have access to the internet, or wi-fi in their facilities. How do they access information?  Nursing Homes, hospitals and such. What is the access like here for patients?

On your website. What now?

That is great. But once someone with poor literacy has got past getting your web address right, can they find what they need on your website?

Look at your website. How much of your website is text?  What level of literacy does it requite to read, understand and use that text?

Ok, you could use a screen reader to read everything aloud, but often the language is too complex, too dense and does not relate enough to the person's experience. Once again another means to reduce their interaction with your website.

Where is your phone number and contact us section?

MMM. No phone number. Companies, and many government departments have recently done away with contact phone numbers, easily displayed. They want you to complete an email. Once again, great if you have the skills to type, spell and compose this information. In this current climate, when access to mobile phones is so much a part of our society, why do large organisations insist on an email? Every organisation should provide a multitude of ways the public can access them.

Now, I really need you to think about who is your audience. 
How do you make your website accessible to the 44 % of the adult Australian population with non functional literacy, over 70% of the adult Australian population with non functional technology based problem solving skills.  ABS # 4228, 2013 .  And these numbers will not reduce. Based on the data of the functional use of the computer by current school students, it is an ongoing issue which needs to be addressed.

Ask me how we can work together to begin to address this enormous issue by using the techniques of Easy English on your website.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield
Speech Pathologist
Access Easy English
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
www.accessseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855

Facebook.com/accesseasyenglish
Twitter @accesseasyengli  

References:
Australian Bureau of Statistics.2013.  Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Accessed 21/11/2015

Australian Communications and Media Authority 2015. Use of digital media and communications by senior Australians Accessed 21/11/2015.

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority  2014. National Assessment Program –ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2014
Cameron D Norman and Harvey A Skinner 2006 E-Health Literacy: Essential Skills
for Consumer Health in a Networked World. J Med Internet Res 2006;8(2):e9  

 

Many students drop out of school

In the last 2 days there have been articles in The Age (editorial today) and discussion about the numbers of students who do not complete their year 12 or equivalent schooling.

The reasons are many and multi-layered.

It is all contained in the " Educational Opportunity in Australia 2015 report, which was released on Monday, which has found a staggering 26 per cent of Australian 19-year-olds, or 81,199 people, are not finishing school." The Age, Monday 27 October 2015

I don't propose to argue for or against any of these issues.  What I am most concerned about is the 1 in 4 or 26% of students who do not complete schooling, or meet academic benchmarks.

Eventhough the report does acknowledge that many students can and do catch up; until they do, these students still need to be able to participate in society, get a job, access CentreLink and other government and community services.

Consequently all services, government, and non government services need to think about how information is presented to people in this category. You can read from the report "Many of these people go on to suffer financial hardship, alcohol and substance abuse, homelessness and a higher probability of ending up in the justice system." 

The OECD completed an international study in 2013 (PIAAC) which the ABS participated in (ABS #4228). The ABS PIAAC data (2013) #4228 correlates with this Education Opportunity in Australia 2015 report. Both acknowledge people who have limited literacy skills are more like to end up with financial hardship, poorer health outcomes, higher probability to end up in the justice system, and be less connected with their community, and be socially isolated.

Make a list of the service you access, on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If you had non functional literacy would you be able to readily access these services?

Start a list, and begin to advocate for the 44% of adult Australians who have non functional literacy. Think about the written information your department or service provides; does it meet the needs of your potential and current clientele?

Here's a starting point

- Rental lease

- Medication dosage

- Medication side effects

- Food labels

- Bills

- CentreLink request

- Local community opening hours and activities

- Accessing MyGov website 

- Product Labels

- Text messages

- Community centre brochure

Call me to talk about how you can modify your written information so the 44% of adult Australians can access written information in a more meaningful way.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Access Easy English

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

0466 579 855

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au