NSW Liberals & Nationals Literacy & Numeracy Action Plan

24 January 2010

NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell and Shadow Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli today announced The NSW Liberals & Nationals Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan to help ensure children in NSW develop the foundations for success in literacy and numeracy at an early age.

The Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan will focus on early intervention by individually targeting those students most at risk. 

It includes:

• Providing an additional 900 teachers for the Reading Recovery Program and expanding it to include both literacy and numeracy.
• Reallocating more than 300 K-2 Support Teachers Learning Assistance (STLA) to provide more intensive support to students in Years 3-10.
• Moving responsibility for preschools from the Department of Community Services to the Department of Education.
• Using kindergarten screening assessments and other data to identify K-2 students at risk of not meeting literacy and numeracy standards.
• Establishing a Ministerial Working Group comprising educational experts to report annually on the performance of our Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan.

“Every child has the right to achieve in reading, writing and maths,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“The State Government has a responsibility to provide children with a solid education that equips them with the skills they need to succeed,” he said.

“With one in five Year 9 students at or below the minimum standards in reading, writing and maths, it’s time to change our approach towards literacy and numeracy.[1]

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals Action Plan will help develop children’s’ literacy and numeracy skills to ensure a seamless transition from preschool to primary school and then onto high school.

“Our plan has a focus on early intervention and will target those most in need, giving us the best chance to identify and address learning difficulties before it’s too late.

“This is another one of our positive, practical plans that will give our children the best possible start to life and deliver the change NSW desperately needs.”

Shadow Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli said State Labor’s approach to education had failed thousands of children.

“Under Labor almost 13,000 students across NSW are unable to adequately read, write or count by the time they finish primary school,” Mr Piccoli said.

“Sadly for most of these children, by the time they reach high school it is almost too late for them to recover these skills.

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals are determined to deliver a strong education system that promotes equity, as well as excellence,” Mr Piccoli said.

The Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan will cost $250 million over five years, comprising $114 million from the National Partnership for Literacy and Numeracy and $136 in additional funding.

[1] 2009 NAPLAN results.