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Australian coalition reveals literacy plans

A new scheme to improve literacy rates among Australian children could come into effect next year

The Literary and Numeracy Action Plan, developed by the New South Wales Liberal and National parties (the Coalition), would see $250 million (£138 million) used to ensure better literacy rates among the area's young.

One of the programme's particular aims is to enhance the reading skills of children from the district's poorer regions.

Central to the scheme's success is the transfer of responsibility from the Department of Community Services to the Department of Education.

That is according to MP for Hawkesbury Ray Williams who says that a greater focus is needed in order to identify those children most in need of additional assistance, especially those failing to meet literacy requirements.

However, the plans will only come into effect if the Coalition form the state government next year – something Mr Williams feels is vital to the improvement in literacy standards.

He said: "Under State Labor Government too many children are unable to adequately read, write or count by the time they finish primary school.

"[The Coalition's proposed scheme] will provide an additional 900 teachers for the Reading Recovery Program and expanding it to include both literacy and numeracy reallocate more than 300 [specialist teachers] to provide more intensive support to students in Years three to ten."

John Aquilina, a local MP of one of the would-be affected areas, insists that a literacy and numeracy programme is already in place, having been implemented by himself in 1998 when he was Education Minister.

He reveals that he is opposed to the movement of responsibilities from the Department of Community Services to Education, saying that the problems go beyond the realms of just learning.

With education such a hot topic in the run up to any election, there is likely to be further developments on the matter of literacy from both sides of the fence in the coming months.

Such developments will naturally be closely watched by publishers involved with the area. Should the Coalition prove successful, a slice of the allocated $250 million (£138 million) will likely go to the provision of text books and other educational reads.