The Ontario Literacy Coalition recognizes how literacy is connected to many aspects of our lives. Because literacy is a cross-cutting issue, the OLC supports the development of Pan-Canadian Literacy Strategy. While there is no such policy in place as of yet, several groups and organizations are working diligently to make literacy a fundamental policy issue.

Pan Canadian Literacy Strategy

On November 1st, 2005 the Minister of State for Human Resources Development appointed a Ministerial Advisory Committee on Literacy and Essential Skills. Various literacy organizations across Canada, including the Movement for Canadian Literacy (Advisory Committee President), populated this advisory committee, and released "Towards a Fully Literate Canada - Achieving National Goals through a Comprehensive Pan-Canadian Literacy Strategy.”

Saying: “Leadership requires vision”, the Advisory Committee recommended that the Government of Canada adopt the following vision statement for the Strategy:

All Canadians have the right to develop the literacy and essential skills they need in order to participate fully in our social, cultural, economic and political life. Every person must have an equal opportunity to acquire, develop, maintain and enhance their literacy skills regardless of their circumstances. Literacy is at the heart of learning. A commitment to learning throughout life leads to a society characterized by literate, healthy and productive individuals, families, communities and workplaces.

CMEC

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) grouping was established in 1967 and in 2008 held the Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum. At the end of this Forum, CMEC released a Joint Declaration from the Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Education – Learn Canada 2020.

Learn Canada 2020 is the framework the provincial and territorial ministers of education, through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, will use to enhance Canada’s education systems, learning opportunities, and overall education outcomes. The vision of Learn Canada 2020 is “Quality Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All Canadians.”

CMEC has created a literacy action plan to raise literacy levels from coast to coast to coast. Activity areas outlined in the plan include literacy policies, practices, research, assessment, and stakeholder engagement.

Visit www.cmec.ca for information on CMEC’s current work.