Making basic education visible | erwachsenenbildung.at

There are around one million adults in Austria with low reading skills. Many of those affected suffer from hurdles in their jobs and everyday lives and from the prejudices they face or the constant fear of being discovered.
The results of the current PIAAC study (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) conducted by the OECD are expected in December 2024. PIAAC continuously examines international key competencies that are important for participation in daily social life. In the last survey in 2011/12, 11.4% of 16- to 65-year-olds (approx. 640,000 people) achieved only low competency scores in all three test domains – reading skills, everyday mathematical skills and problem solving in the context of new technologies. Both German-speaking people born in Austria and immigrants are equally affected.

Making basic education needs visible to the public – why?

Difficulties with reading and basic skills (such as dealing with digital applications) are a widespread – but at the same time highly taboo – phenomenon. Shame and the belief of those affected that everyone else can read, write and do arithmetic are the downside of this structural problem. By making the extent of this phenomenon visible, the aim is not to scandalize it, but – quite the opposite – to remove the taboo. The Visible! (from 2023) and Visible! On the move (from 2024) projects funded by the BMBWF are expected to contribute to normalization in public and to reducing written language barriers in society. On the other hand, people should also be aware of learning and development opportunities in adult education. Many of those affected do not know that many others have the same difficulties and are hearing about the learning opportunities for the first time.

Working with theme ambassadors

In the project, awareness-raising and information are particularly successful with topic ambassadors. These are people who have attended or have attended basic education courses and can talk about their difficulties with basic skills as well as their learning experiences as adults and what went well in their lives. They also talk about experiences of discrimination and fears. At information stands and as workshop co-leaders, they become visible as eloquent and capable conversation partners.
In the public relations work that the project carried out, the appearances of the theme ambassadors left a lasting impression. And conversely, in reflection, the ambassadors report a feeling of empowerment, as everyone has become even more confident in dealing with different publics.

Pop-up information stands and writing rooms

This year, the project is going public with information stands and “pop-up writing rooms”. At the information stands, which “pop up” at irregular intervals in (semi-)public places, a project employee and a topic ambassador inform interested passers-by about basic education, basic skills and course offerings. In “pop-up writing rooms” – here a project employee is always on site – those present in various public places (e.g. at the municipal district office, but also in area support locations) are offered (substitute) writing. The writer fills out forms or applications for them, writes a message in Schoolfox, but can also write a greeting card. The writing rooms are deliberately set up in public places to show that no one needs to be ashamed of accepting writing help and to make it visible that there are many people who need support.

Awareness workshops

Since 2023, the project team has been offering free awareness-raising workshops for institutions, which are primarily aimed at consultants or people with customer contact who do not focus on primary education or basic education (e.g. ÖGK, various service centers, AMS, …). In the workshops, trainers provide information about basic education (numbers, facts, scale) and sensitize participants to the topic and any (written language) barriers in their own institution. When raising awareness, the most relevant question is how to deal with clients in a non-shaming manner when it becomes apparent in the counseling situation that they cannot read or write (that well).
The workshops are conducted jointly by a project employee and a theme ambassador. Interested parties can book the workshops by email.
A brochure about the workshop content to raise awareness of basic education needs is available free of charge on the project website.

World Literacy Day on 8 September

The “World Literacy Day” (also World Education Day) on September 8th was initiated by UNESCO following the World Conference on the Eradication of Illiteracy in September 1965 in Teheran and first began on September 8th, 1966. Around this day, numerous different institutions in Austria also hold events that aim to raise awareness of basic education in our society. Such attention to literacy and basic education – beyond scandalization – is good and necessary. Every day!