Myths & Facts

5 Common Myths

• MYTH: Canada does not have a literacy problem.

  FACT: Almost half of all Canadian adults (48%) have low literacy skills.

• MYTH: How can there be a literacy problem in Canada, when most adults can read and write?

  FACT: There are very few people who are ”illiterate,” meaning that they cannot read at all. There are about nine million Canadian adults age 16 to 65 who are challenged by low literacy. However, most can read to some degree. These individuals simply need additional education to raise their literacy skills to an internationally accepted standard for coping in a modern society.

• MYTH: You can either read or you can’t read.

  FACT: Having low literacy does not mean that you “can’t read.” The majority of people with literacy issues can read, but not at a literacy level required for full engagement at work, at home and in the community.

• MYTH: Adult literacy in Canada will improve over time as more people acquire higher education.

  FACT: The overall percentage of Canadian adults with low literacy levels remained unchanged from 1994 to 2003. The Canadian Council on Learning predicts the proportion of Canadian adults with low literacy skills will remain virtually unchanged through 2031.

• MYTH: Low literacy is not an issue for adults who are educated and who have traditionally had good literacy skills.

  FACT: Literacy skills can deteriorate over time if they do not have ongoing practice. Literacy skills are like muscles – they are maintained and strengthened through regular use.

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Top 5 Reasons to Care about Literacy – for our kids, for jobs, for our community

• Literacy:  A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR CBRM - In CBRM, over 44% of adults do not have the necessary literacy skills for home, work and life that they need to meet the demands of today’s society.  They can read and write, but not well enough to prosper in our modern society and economy.

• Literacy and Youth – The higher the level of a parent’s education, the greater the likelihood the child will succeed in school.  Children will still have problems in school if their parents lack the literacy skills to support their learning.

• Literacy and Health – Nova Scotians with low literacy levels suffer poorer health than Nova Scotians with high levels of literacy.  Literacy is one of the key determinants of their overall health.

• Literacy and Jobs – People with low literacy rates have much lower rates of employment and lower wages than those with higher literacy levels.  Better educated Nova Scotians have greater productivity, less absenteeism, less accidents and more capability for retraining.

• Literacy and Crime – Neighbourhoods with lower literacy levels have higher crime rates.  Raising literacy levels in the community contributes to reducing crime.  Criminal offenders have lower average literacy levels than the general population.

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