- Myth: Canada does not have a literacy problem.
- Fact: Almost half of all Canadian adults (48%) have low literacy skills.
- Myth: Adult literacy in Canada will improve over time as more people acquire higher education.
- Fact: The proportion of Canadian adults with low literacy skills will remain virtually unchanged through 2031.
These two commonly held beliefs can create challenges for organizations and individuals working to improve adult literacy. Why? Because securing financial support often depends upon assumptions of the size of the problem.
What is PALMM?
PALMM is a free online tool that allows users to:
- generate statistical “snapshots” of Canada’s adult literacy landscape through 2031 for provinces, territories and four largest cities
- calculate future adult literacy rates according to age, education level and immigration status. , and
- produce customized graphs that can be used in planning literacy policy and program interventions.
PALMM is intended to be used as a complement to CCL’s September, 2010 report, The Future of Literacy in Canada’s Largest Cities. Begin