Threat to adult reading

Press, 22 September 1980, Page 13

Threat to adult reading

Adult reading assistance programmes are in danger of losing the services of a national co-ordinator and adviser because the Government refuses to provide financial assistance.

For the last three years the position, under _ the authority of the National Council of Adult Education, has been funded by the McKenzie Education Foundation, which has also financed the reprinting of important texts. Now the term of that funding has expired. On September 2, a deputation from the national council met the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) to ask for Government support. According to the council’s director (Mr P. R. Creevey), the deputation was given a “sympathetic hearing” and an assurance that the matter would be put before the Cabinet The council had advocated that the Government recognise adult literacy as a “basic and essential part” of educational provision by the State. The foundation’s money had given the council the chance to prove that the work of a co-ordinator was necessary, Mr Creevey said. “Now I think we have proved the need for such a service, and that it works.” It asked that the Government take over the funding of the position; eventually it hoped that' the entire adult

reading programme would be its financial concern.

Mr Wellington has replied that there will be no change. The Government already funded three “field officer” positions with the national council. It was up to the council, he said,- to decide its priorities and work out where to place its officers. “The money we have provided is for use in innovative programmes in priority areas; the council has the where-with-all to keep the position going if it wants to,” said Mr Wellington.

Mr Wellington also said he had expressed his appreciation of the work done in reading assistance by both professionals and volunteers. His department considered the work important; not only had it established positions for innovative programmes but had provided a grant for innovative work, in the latest budget. Money had also been' provided for 15 special reading teachers in schools.

Mr Creevey > said that Mr Wellington’s reply was “his way of saying the Government doesn’t consider adult reading an urgent priority.” “The suggestion we drop one of our other projects in favour of this, is not something the Public Service would get away with,” Mr Creevey said. The three field officers

employed by the council were all doing important work. One was working on broadcasting, trying to encourage more Community involvement in radio; one in Maori and Pacific Island continuing education; and one in the development of training programmes for continuing education in general.

Mr Creevey said it would be foolish to drop one promising project to pick up another. “We have demonstrated that adult literacy is a need and how to deal with the problem in a cost-effec-tive way. We are now asking the Government to recognise this by making a policy statement and committing itself.” Mr Creevey has estimated that up to 100,000 people may have reading difficulties. Since the council began its work, 3000 tutors, all working one-to-one, had helped at least 3500 students. The present co-ordina-tor had personally trained most of these tutors. To have to work without such a person was like having a “watch without a mainspring.” It was a crisis: without Government support, Mr Creevey said, he had no idea where he could find money to keep the position going. '1 will have to go out with a begging bowl.t’ ' ~