Canadians And Low Adult Literacy
Toronto, ON - The results of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and released today suggest that low adult literacy is a very important issue for Canadians. Nearly half of Canadians (46%) agree that low literacy skills among Canadian adults is a "very important" issue that needs to be addressed.
One-quarter (24%) of Canadians feel that low adult literacy is a "major problem" in Canada - 42% a moderate problem, 27% a minor problem, and 5% not a problem at all.
When respondents were told that 22 per cent of adult Canadians have serious problems dealing with any printed material (figure based on a 1994 Statistic Canada and OECD survey) the majority (58%) said this knowledge makes them more likely to feel that low literacy is a major problem in Canada that needs to be addressed.
For those who believe low adult literacy is a major problem, their top reasons for feeling this way are because literacy is important for work /people [will] find it hard to get better jobs (20% of mentions), people are not educated (15%) and because literacy is important for everyday life ...to function (14%).
Four in five Canadians (82%) think that providing workplace literacy training for employees is an important way for corporations to contribute to the community, including 40% who think this is very important. In fact, providing workplace literacy training for employees ranks just behind donating to social causes and community organizations as an important way in which corporations can contribute to the community (89% important, including 40% very important).
The vast majority of Canadians (93%) feel that the higher an individual's literacy level, the more likely it will be that they will be employed and have a higher income, including 73% who "strongly agree". Nearly as many Canadians (90%) feel that poor literacy skills may lower the quality of life for seniors and increase their health and safety risks, including 52% who "strongly agree".
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid telephone poll conducted in the spring of 2005 between May 5th to May 9h among a representative sample of 1,000 Canadians 18 year of age or older. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sandra Guiry
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2900
[email protected]
Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada - including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country - all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.
Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.
Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2004, Ipsos generated global revenues of 605.6 million Euro ($752.8 million U.S.).
Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.
