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Skills for Life
Adult literacy and numeracy
In 2000, QCA and DfES published the first national standards for adult literacy and numeracy. These standards formed the basis of a number of initiatives, now established, to address levels of literacy and numeracy among the adult population. These include:
- national qualifications in adult literacy, adult numeracy and ESOL at Entry level, level 1 and level 2
- national adult literacy and adult numeracy tests at levels 1 and 2
- national adult literacy and adult numeracy and ESOL core curricula.
ICT
Until recently, the terms basic skills or 'skills for life' were widely assumed to cover the skills of adult literacy and adult numeracy. In today's society however, information and communication technology (ICT) can be just as important, particularly in the workplace. The 2003 white paper 21st Century Skills: realising our potential; individuals, employers, nation made the commitment to help adults to develop ICT as a third 'skill for life' alongside literacy and numeracy. To support this, national standards for ICT have now been agreed and are published here alongside the existing standards for adult literacy and adult numeracy.
The standards
The standards for adult literacy, adult numeracy and ICT follow a common format and relate directly to the key skills of communication, application of number and ICT. They have also been developed to match the national curriculum requirements for English, mathematics, ICT and the national occupational standards for ICT.
Audience
The standards have been developed for use by developers of curricula, qualifications and assessment material. They are also intended for use by those who are responsible for providing training and support for adult literacy, numeracy and ICT. At levels 1 and 2, the standards provide more detailed description of the level covered by the key skills standards for communication, application of number and ICT.