Sue Hunter argues that literacy and numeracy projects must be invested in. Jenny Hartland addresses the pressure of being forced to learn to read and write too young
In her review of the TV programme Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51, Lucy Mangan notes that there are 8 million adults in the UK who struggle with reading. Also, as about 25% of state school pupils do not meet the expected reading standards by the age of 11, it seems that things aren’t going to improve any day soon.
In 1999, Sir Claus Moser was commissioned by the government to produce a report on adult literacy and numeracy (known as the Moser report). In this he concluded that 23% of adults in this country had low literacy skills and recommended a national strategy to improve the situation.
