About literacy in Quebec

INFO ADULT-ED
VOL. 4, ISSUE 1
January 2007
Source: MELS, http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/_information_continue/info/index_en.asp?page=article6

Provincewide panorama – Literacy in Québec in 2003

In 2003, more than 4 500 Quebeckers aged 16 and over took part in the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS). This joint study, carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Statistics Canada, was conducted in six countries (Canada, Bermuda, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States) and the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It aimed to measure the literacy levels of adults, i.e. the ability to understand and use printed and written information in everyday life, at home, at work and in the community.

Using printed documents from everyday life and various tasks administered in person, the survey assessed skills in four domains: prose literacy (e.g. editorials, news reports, brochures, flyers); document literacy (e.g. tables, diagrams, geographic maps); numeracy (e.g. determining the balance of a chequing account, calculating a tip); and problem-solving (e.g. the ability to take concrete action in dealing with complex tasks).

For the first three domains, five skill levels were established. Level 1 corresponds to very poor skills in the area considered and Level 2, to limited skills. Level 3 is the minimum level required to deal with the growing demands of a knowledge society and information-based economy. Levels 4 and 5 indicate strong skills. The area of problem-solving has only four skill levels.
An international report, which presents the data by country, was published in May 2005, followed by two other reports. A Canadian report mainly addresses the differences between the provinces and the territories as well as the literacy levels of immigrants, Aboriginal people and language groups. A Québec report, entitled Développer nos compétences en littératie: un défi porteur d’avenir, presents the detailed results for Quebeckers.

What does the Québec literacy survey tell us?

Breakdown of adult Quebeckers by skill level
Close to 45% of adult Quebeckers aged 16 and over are at Level 3 or above in three areas (prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy). This is the level of competency required to function comfortably in contemporary society. In contrast, close to one adult in four is at level 1, which denotes very limited skills.

Skill levels by domain, population 16 years and older, Québec, 2003

Source: Bernèche, Francine and Bertrand Perron (2005). La littératie au Québec en 2003: faits saillants, Enquête internationale sur l'alphabétisation et les compétences des adultes (EIACA), 2003. Québec: Institut de la statistique du Québec.

Evolution of literacy since 1994

Between 1994, when the first international survey of adult literacy was conducted, and 2003, the average score for adults aged 16 and over improved in prose literacy. The score for document literacy also increased, but it was not statistically significant. All in all, although the gaps between Québec and Canadian averages narrowed, they are still significant.

Québec's ranking on the international scene

Among adults aged 16 to 65 years, the average score for Québec was higher than that for the United States, Italy and the Mexican State of Nuevo Leon in prose literacy. It was equal to Switzerland’s score and lower than those of Bermuda and Norway.

Québec's ranking in Canada

Average scores in certain western provinces (Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta) and the Yukon were higher than those in Québec. It is only in document literacy that Ontario had a significantly higher score than Québec. In the other domains, the scores for Québec and Ontario were not statistically different.

Literacy and various social and demographic characteristics

In Québec, as in all participating countries, age appeared to have an impact on scores. Quebeckers aged 16 to 25 obtained better scores than those aged 36 years and over. There were also differences based on gender. Men scored higher than women in document literacy and in numeracy, but they were equal in prose literacy. Education also played an important role in literacy proficiency. People who did not complete secondary school scored at Level 1, those with a secondary school diploma at Level 2, and those with a postsecondary degree at Level 3.

Depending on employment status, people aged 16 to 65 showed varying levels of literacy. Employed individuals were more often situated at Level 3, whereas the unemployed or people who were not in the job market were more often situated at Level 2. The higher the income, the greater the proportion of people who scored at Levels 3, 4 and 5. People who participated in structured forms of adult education and training obtained higher scores than those who did not.

Compared with other Canadian provinces, Québec was the exception with respect to native language, because no difference was observed between those whose native language is French and those whose native language is English, when education levels are taken into consideration. Moreover, even when years of schooling were factored in, allophones had lower average scores than francophones and anglophones.

Conclusion

In Québec, there are approximately 509,000 people aged 16 to 65 with very limited literacy skills (Level 1) in prose literacy, document literacy and numeracy. These results highlight the need for maintaining and developing literacy skills throughout life to prevent their loss in later life. The results also show the importance of education in mastering these skills and the connection between literacy and income.