Canadian Press: 2008 February 7
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1_uH_NIPQtO32pEABnbaLGOyvfw
VICTORIA - The auditor general says the B.C. government needs to do more homework if it wants to reach its goal of making British Columbia the most literate jurisdiction in North America by 2015.
B.C. Auditor General John Doyle makes six recommendations in his report, including urging the Education Ministry, Boards of Education and post-secondary institutions to join forces to develop plans to encourage the use of services to improve literacy.
Doyle says British Columbia's literacy rate compares favourably with other jurisdictions but 40 per cent of working age British Columbians lack the literacy skills to fully participate in the workforce.
He says the government does not explain how much it is spending on improving literacy and there is little data measuring the program's progress.
Doyle calls on the government to issue a provincewide annual public report on its progress in achieving literacy goals and objectives.
British Columbia students currently rank in the top three in the world in reading, math and science based on an international literacy standard that focuses on 15 year olds, says Doyle's report.
Literacy: Creating the Conditions for Reading and Writing Success
Report 6 - February 2008 Report PDF
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