Basic Skills Cymru
Basic Skills is defined as the ability to read, write and speak in English or Welsh and to use maths, at a level necessary to function and progress both in work and in society.
Basic Skills Cymru is the Welsh Assembly Government's strategy to help children and adults in Wales who struggle with basic literacy and numeracy.
This section of the website holds information for providers of Basic Skills education.
Literacy and numeracy underpin nearly all the other skills we need in our daily lives – at work, in the family or in leisure and other activities.
If a person cannot read they cannot make use of books, newspaper or other technology. Without good speaking skills people cannot participate fully as part of a team at work. Difficulties over writing and spelling make it tough to complete a good job application form. Problems over the use of number mean it’s a struggle to manage home finances.
Most people with poor basic skills will cope but they will often avoid situations that require these skills and therefore miss out on so much.
The worry and stress can diminish their quality of life as well as physical and mental health. It can affect people’s health in other ways by reducing their ability to take on board information about how to look after their health and follow treatment. The strategy therefore has an important contribution to make to Health Challenge Wales.
Society as a whole suffers from basic skills deficits too.
Productivity at work and business competitiveness are lower that they should be. Our cultural life is affected. The children of parents with poor basic skills are more likely to struggle at school. There is also an association with crime and unemployment – over half the prison population has poor basic skills as do many of the unemployed and economically inactive.
We need to continue to improve the basic skills of the people of Wales, so that the Assembly Government’s overall vision for social, cultural and economic development in Wales can be achieved.
The basic skills strategy has the following fundamental aims:
- All young children should be prepared for learning when they begin school
- The number of children leaving primary school struggling over reading, writing and using numbers should be further reduced
- Fewer young people should leave compulsory education still struggling with basic skills
- The number of adults with poor basic skills should be diminished significantly
Basic Skills Cymru targets those in greatest need and provides funding to deliver programmes which address these specific needs.
For further information on standards and qualifications for Entry Level learners and those at Level 1, please go to the Essential Skills Wales page (see related link on the right).