One for the book

 
1.1 million adults have literacy skills below Entry Level 1 which is equivalent to the standard expected of 5- to7-year-olds.
5.2 million adults have a literacy level below Level 1 which is equivalent to the standard expected of 11-year-olds.
Another 26.7 million adults are below Level 2 which means they would not pass an English GCSE.

 

Percentage of functionally illiterate adults aged 16-65:

England
North East
Yorkshire
South West
Dorset

 

 
Entry Level 1
 3% 4% 4% 2% 1%
Entry Level 2
 2% 3% 2% 3% 1%
Entry Level 3
 11% 14% 13% 9% 7%
Level 1
 40% 41% 42% 41% 44%
Level 2
 44% 37% 39% 46% 47%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numbers of functionally illiterate adults aged 16-65:

Dorset
Bournemouth
Poole
Entry Level 1
 940   595   440  
Entry Level 2
 2085   635   1315  
Entry Level 3
 13110   8320   5090  

 

Department for Innovation, Universities
and Skills, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

Characteristics of people aged 16-65 with Entry Level 3 or lower:

33% live in the most deprived fifth of the country

20% live in London, although the North East has the greatest concentration of people with this level or even lower levels

50% own their own home

25% rent from council

50% live in working class households

20% do not have English as their first language

25% identify themselves with a minority ethnic group

10% claim a learning difficulty

20% claim a longstanding illness or disability

50% have no qualifications

18% have an A level or higher qualification

50% work, and 50% among them are employed in routine or semi-routine occupations, but 20% work in managerial or professional occupation

25% receive benefits

There is no difference between the sexes.

The majority claims they read every day, even 25 per cent among those with Entry Level 1 or lower.

Nearly all claim they have 25 or more books in the household.

Respondents with low literary levels tend to watch more TV than average, but not the news.

Skills for Life survey 2003

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