Literacy is a moral issue
Now more that ever, it is important for every adult to be able to communicate well. That is why I am pleased to have been asked to lead the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education's independent inquiry into adult and youth literacy in England.
It is 10 years since the last government introduced its Skills for Life strategy to tackle high levels of functional illiteracy and innumeracy. Since 2001, real progress has been made to help millions learn the basic skills they need.
The Skills for Life strategy placed particular emphasis on helping adults achieve qualifications in order to succeed at work. That is an important approach and we have to keep up the pressure to raise skill levels in order to make our economy more competitive.
But, to use a golfing analogy, this is very much a one-club approach. For a significant number of adults the level of functional literacy is so low that they are not ready to study for qualifications. We have to improve their motivation and attitudes to learning, especially those who had negative experiences at school.
What we need is a more varied system. We need to create pluralism of providers by using the voluntary sector effectively – in a way that does not subvert the work of professionals.
The bar to achieving functional literacy is being raised all the time. It is not just about learning the alphabet, it's about being able to understand a ballot paper and fill in a census form.
We cannot feel happy that perhaps 5 million adults do not feel comfortable dealing with modern life. That has implications for their ability to work and function as citizens, to lead fulfilled and happy lives. We have tended, with Skills for Life, to emphasise competitiveness, but it is a moral issue as well.
Lord Boswell of Aynho was the minister responsible for adult learning, 1992-95