The Western Australian Adult Literacy Council
The Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC) was established with the purpose of ensuring that all adult West Australians have the opportunity to develop the literacy and numeracy skills required to actively participate in our increasingly complex society.
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National Skills Agreement
The National Skills Agreement is a 5-year agreement between the Australian and state and territory governments that reflects a commitment to ensure that no Australian is left behind or held back as the economy transitions and adapts to structural change. The Agreement includes agreed reforms, one of which is to improve foundation skills training capacity, quality and accessibility.
As part of this reform, the Australian and state and territory governments agreed to work together to develop a National Foundation Skills Strategy (the Strategy) to address issues of critical importance to the future of Australia and the wellbeing of individual Australians. This Strategy sets a shared direction for all governments for adult foundation skills nationally over the next decade and reflects our shared commitment to build foundation skills levels among Australian adults.
The Strategy is designed to enhance the lives of people who struggle every day to read and write, do maths or use computers – key foundation skills. We know that building these skills can improve people’s lives, creating new ways of engaging in communities and workplaces. Importantly, it can lead to opportunities for further education and training – helping to build the skilled workforce of the future and drive our state, territory and national economies.
Related Reading;
National Skills Agreement. Overview of the new National Skills Agreement National Foundation Skills Strategy
Professional Learning Survey 2024 – 25
Dear members and friends. WAALC is now planning professional learning events for 2025 and are interested to know your areas of interest.
Thankyou for taking the time to complete this survey
Please Click to complete a short Survey
Board at the Library
On Level 2 of the State Library of Western Australia, discover a cosy space to relax and enjoy board games and puzzles. With a selection of classic games to play and a collection of books about games to borrow, this is the perfect spot to meet up and discover a new pastime.
Challenge your friends to a board game, collaborate over a puzzle or play a game of solitaire. Our game selection includes chess, mah-jong, Scrabble, Monopoly, Catan, Cluedo, jigsaw puzzles, large print playing cards and much more.
Choose your own adventure and stop by Board at the Library !
Practice engagement makes perfect
Practice engagement theory (PET) holds that adult literacy and numeracy proficiency develops as a result of engaging in everyday reading, writing and maths practices. Reciprocally, an adult’s proficiency affects their engagement in everyday literacy and numeracy practices.
PET, along with a growing body of longitudinal research, confirms that literacy and numeracy interventions that increase engagement in meaningful everyday practices builds proficiency over time.
Digital literacies
The concept of ‘digital literacies’ is defined and understood in many different ways. The perspective which is widely accepted views digital literacies as social practices.
To be digitally literate means to have a rich repertoire of skills, knowledge, understandings and ways of thinking to interpret, create, manage and share meanings through different digital channels, for different purposes, in various contexts and with different audiences.
Jo Medlin teaches adults to read and write
Today, Jo is the president of the president of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy.
Some of her students start their classes without being able to write their weekly shopping list.
Others are motivated to learn so they can write family members a card on their own.
All have to confront their low self-confidence to succeed.
Integrating Digital Tools for Adult Learners: Four Critical Factors
The numbers are staggering — an estimated 36 million adults lack the basic literacy, numeracy, and job skills necessary to find well-paying jobs and navigate public and social systems. What’s more, the number of education programs that serve these adults is woefully low. According to a report from Tyton Partners1, our federal- and state-funded programs have the capacity to serve only about four million of the 36 million.
'Lost For Words' returns for S2, to tackle Australia's low literacy and numeracy levels
Season 2 of this powerful and inspiring documentary premieres Wednesday 12 October at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The Smith Family Digital Access Program
Our Digital Access approach improves families’ digital inclusion by ensuring all Learning for Life families have access to low cost internet and devices as well as tech support and the knowledge on how to make the most of the technology they have.
Tools for Tutors
Our toolkits are designed to work for informal and formal learning alike.
This part of the toolkit looks at how you can use the learner cards to deliver a formal learning course.
Note: This is an UK Website
BBC Skillswise
A collection of free videos and downloadable worksheets to help adult learners improve reading, writing and numeracy skills.
WAALC is proud to be associated with the State Library of Western Australia
Keep up to date with adult literacy and numeracy in Australia
Here’s Five great places to start are:
Australian Council of Adult Literacy
The Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL) publishes a regular free newsletter with news and opinion pieces about adult literacy and numeracy. Add yourself to their email list: you don’t need to be a member of ACAL.
Sign up
FS Teach
FS Teach Facebook page includes quite a lot of news but has the added benefit of hundreds of members across Australia who can answer your questions about foundation skills.
FS Teach Facebook
Adult Learning Australia
Adult Learning Australia offers more generic adult education focused information including webinars, a journal and undertakes an advocacy role.
More
Need a service for an adult to improve their reading writing or mathematics?
WAALC acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, skies, and waterways across Australia.
We pay respect to Elders past and present and acknowledge the continuation of Cultural, spiritual, educational and literacy practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the continuing connection to country and Culture