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  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
    • Trend: overall
    • Table: summary (%)
    • Table: summary (n)
    • Trend: remoteness (%)
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What does this mean?

In Kids Stats numeracy refers to an understanding of the number system, computational skills and an inclination and ability to solve number problems in a variety of contexts.

Numeracy also demands spatial sense and a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered by counting and measuring, and is presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables.

Why is it important to monitor?

Numeracy, like literacy, provides key skills to enable children and young people to be successful at school and life beyond it.

Numeracy is a prerequisite for success in a changing society where people need to be ready to adapt to new jobs, new career pathways and new technologies.

Research by the Australian Council for Educational Research found that poor literacy and numeracy skills at school were associated with:

• early school leaving, and
• a greater likelihood of being out of work and experiencing sustained periods of unemployment at age 19 [1].

The study concluded that:

While raising levels of literacy and numeracy will not necessarily guarantee young people well-paid jobs, it will improve their chances of completing school and accessing a wider range of post-compulsory pathways, which, in the longer term, may help young people establish more secure livelihoods [2].

Indicator

The indicator used in Kids Stats to monitor numeracy is:

The number of students in government schools who achieve above the minimum acceptable standard of numeracy in Year 5 as a proportion of all Year 5 students who participated in the Basic Skills Test.

In NSW, Year 5 students participate in the Basic Skills Test, which assesses literacy and numeracy. Students achieving Band 3 or above on these tests have demonstrated the minimum acceptable standard in literacy and numeracy. Students achieving in Band 1 or 2 may have difficulty making sufficient progress at school. Currently data can only be reported for students attending government schools.

Main findings

• In 2007, 93% of Year 5 students achieved above the minimum acceptable standard; a decrease of 1.6 percentage points compared with 2006. 
• In 2007, equal proportions of male and female students achieved above the minimum acceptable standard in literacy.
• There is a substantial difference in the proportion of students achieving above minimum standards in numeracy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students but this difference is decreasing (14.1% in 2003 compared with 12% in 2007).
• Geographic location is a factor. A smaller proportion of students attending schools in remote and very remote areas achieved above the minimum acceptable standard of numeracy, compared with those attending schools in more accessible areas.

Notes: [1] Lamb, S. (1997). School Achievement and Initial Education and Labour Market Outcomes. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 4, Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne.
[2] Ibid.

For details of the references and to find out more about the data follow the link to Glossary and further information.