Functional Skills

New light on literacy and numeracy
SUMMARY REPORT
John Bynner and Samantha Parsons

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New light on literacy and numeracy SUMMARY REPORT
John Bynner and Samantha Parsons

Contents
4

Introduction

7

Why don’t more adults go on courses?

11

Who has poor skills?

16

What happens to adults whose skills change over time? 20

How does dyslexia relate to problems with literacy and numeracy? 25

From generation to generation 29

What does this mean for policy and research?

33

Tables: literacy and numeracy levels
3