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Numeracy and life chances

Numeracy and life chances. John Bynner National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC) Institute of Education. Bynner, J. and Parsons, S. (1997) Does numeracy matter? London: Basic Skills Agency.

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Numeracy and life chances

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  1. Numeracy and life chances John Bynner National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC) Institute of Education Bynner, J. and Parsons, S. (1997) Does numeracy matter? London: Basic Skills Agency. Parsons, S. and Bynner, J. (2006) Does Numeracy Matter More, London Institute of Education NRDC

  2. Table 1 Employment Trends by Manual and Non-Manual Occupations 1971 – 1999and projections for 2010, UK

  3. Background • Decline in unskilled jobs • Increasing demand for qualifications and skills from employers and extension of transition from school to work • Increasing demand from employers for numeracy skills (IES research) • Widening gap in life chances between the skilled and the unskilled

  4. Research questions • What added damage does poor functional numeracy bring to life chances over and above poor functional literacy? • Is the disadvantage different for men and women? • Do qualifications gained override the effects of numeracy, as opposed to literacy, on life chances?

  5. The British Birth Cohort studies Age 60 55 50 NSHD 45 NCDS 40 35 BCS70 30 25 20 15 10 MCS Child Data Child Data 5 0 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year

  6. BCS70 follow-ups and sources of information 1970-2004 Basic Skills Assessment(10% sample n=1623)

  7. Table 2: Distribution of BCS cohort members by literacy and numeracy: 1991 and 2000

  8. Table 3: BCS70 cohort members by combined grasp of numeracy and literacy, compared with NCDS1995 respondents.

  9. % women in full-time education betweenage 16 and 21numeracy and literacy

  10. Figure 4: % Early School Leavers in Full-Time Employment - January 1975 – December 1987

  11. Figure 6: Current employment status at age 30

  12. Predicted Age-30 outcomes: logistic - regression odds ratios • Employment • Employment-related • Other economic outcomes • Social participation and Crime • Health and well-being

  13. Table A2(a): Predicting Adult outcomes for Men with Poor Numeracy and/or Literacy

  14. Table A2(b): Predicting Adult outcomes for Women with Poor Numeracy and/or Literacy

  15. Effects of poor numeracy and literacy on age 30 outcomes for men

  16. AGE 30 OUTCOMES OF POOR LITERACY AND POOR NUMERACY: MEN • To be unemployed • Not to have had any work-related training from their current employer • Not to use a computer at work • Not to have an employer who gave paternity leave • Not to own their home • To live in a non working household • To have no political interest • To have been arrested • To be depressed

  17. Effects of poor numeracy and literacy on age 30 outcomes for women

  18. AGE-30 OUTCOMES OF POOR LITERACY AND POOR NUMERACY AT AGE-21, COMPARED WITH THOSE WITH COMPETENCE IN BOTH SKILLS: WOMEN • Not to be in full time or part-time work • To be in a full-time home-care role • Not to have had any work related training from their currect employer • Not to have an employer who allowed maternity leave (above statutory leave) • Not to own their home • To live in a non-working household • Not to have any political interest • To have poor physical health • To be depressed

  19. Numeracy effect Men With three exceptions negative outcomes were predicted by literacy and numeracy together i.e. poor basic skills generally appeared to be implicated in the negative outcome rather than numeracy or literacy alone. Women For women, even when highest qualification was controlled, poor numeracy - independently of literacy - continued to predict most of the negative outcomes in adulthood.

  20. Policy challenge • Changing labour market towards white collar work puts increasing pressure on young people to acquire qualifications and skills • The traditional route for female early school leavers from school to low- grade office employment is now transformed into one of greater financial accountability and ICT skills for which numeracy is at a premium • Girls with poor numeracy have increasing difficulty in gaining entry to and progressing in white collar employment • Early school leaving is followed by early exit from the labour market to partnership and parenthood • How to improve the maths curriculum for girls?

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