Monday, May 16, 2022

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Giving back
    • Mission Statement
    • Past Issues
    • Where to Find
    • Call us at 613-935-3763
  • Advertise with us!
COVID-19 Response Framework: STEP THREE OF REOPENING

Get the Seeker Delivered straight to your door, click here
  • Home
  • News
  • Leisure & Lifestyle
  • Columns
  • LTE
  • Events
  • Contributors
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
The Seeker Newsmagazine Cornwall

Why Ontario Parents Need to Take Literacy Seriously

Jane Doe by Jane Doe
December 7, 2019
in News and Announcements
Reading Time: 3 mins read
28 1
26
SHARES
191
VIEWS

Literacy is one of the fundamental building blocks of education, and a basic skill that most of us rely on every single day in our work and social life. So why is it that literacy rates in Canada are showing signs of stagnating or even falling?

You might also like

It’s all about the love…of poutine!

Local Leaders Meet VIA Rail CEO on Future of Cornwall Station

Oh Gallbladder, Gallbladder, wherefore art thou Gallbladder?

Just last year, the Canada West Foundation published a report showing that Canada was facing an alarming shortfall in basic skills among those entering the workforce. For example, the report found that:

  • 40% of Canada’s workforce lacks adequate literacy skills to succeed in most jobs.
  • 60% of Canadian workers face skill mismatches, where they have skills that exceed or are insufficient for the job they are in.
  • Many of the low-skilled jobs Canadians are currently employed in may see automation in the coming years.

Unsurprisingly, these findings raised alarm bells about the state of Canada’s education system. How are we getting things so wrong, given how wealthy, prosperous, and committed to education Canada is as a country?

Education Outcomes Due to a Range of Factors

While it is always tempting to blame these kinds of shortcomings on a single issue — overcrowding in schools, for example, or out-dated curriculum — these kind of across-the-board problems are usually due to a confluence of different factors. This means that a multi-pronged approach is necessary if they are to be solved.

Individual families can play an important role in helping to address these problems by fostering a greater respect for literacy in the home, and by modelling an interest in reading. Parents can also encourage their children to enrol in after-school programs to help improve literacy, or get them involved in community book clubs or reading groups.

Access to High Quality Education Unequally Distributed

One issue that is important to keep in mind when considering these numbers is the fact that access to education is not equally distributed across Canada.

Schools in affluent catchment areas in downtown Toronto or Calgary may be doing very well, while those in smaller cities and rural areas find themselves strapped for cash and struggling to attract teachers.

If you don’t live in an area with particularly strong schools, you may need to invest in private education as a supplement to what your child is learning in class by hiring a private tutor.

For example, it is easy to find an English tutor in Kitchener who can work with the curriculum and help your student improve their reading, writing, and fluency. This may be the best way to ensure that while education policy is being sorted out, your child has the educational support they need.

According to a recent news story in MacLean’s, one in ten fifteen-year-olds lacks basic literacy and numeracy skills, and the problem is getting worse rather than better.

If you want to make sure your child doesn’t fall through the cracks of the public education system, you need to consider whether it might be necessary to hire a private tutor to help ensure they master the skills they need to succeed in the twenty-first century.

After all, in the modern knowledge economy, those who have the high degree of literacy necessary to be effective communicators are the ones who will be positioned to reap the benefits of Canada’s prosperity.

Author

  • Jane Doe

    The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not in any way intended to substitute care or advice from a professional.

    View all posts

Next Post

John Browny Could Have Been The Super Bowl MVP If The Gagak Hadn’t Blown It

Place YOUR ad here now
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok

Don't miss anything!

Get notified of all our new news by ringing the bell at the bottom right corner!

The Seeker Newspaper is located at 327 Second Street E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 -- All rights reserved
The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as the statements and opinions of The Seeker, and should not substitute professional or medical advice.
ISSN 2562-1750 (Print)

ISSN 2562-1769 (Online)
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Leisure & Lifestyle
  • Columns
  • LTE
  • Events
  • Contributors

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
X
X