About the strategy
The NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy is a four-year plan to support the quality teaching of literacy and numeracy across all NSW schools. It was announced in 2016.
Why literacy and numeracy?
Literacy and numeracy are important because they form the basis of our learning. They are required to learn other skills, as well as for participation in everyday life. Literacy and numeracy skills underpin workforce participation, productivity and the broader economy, and can also impact on social and health outcomes. That is why the strategy focuses on the quality teaching of literacy and numeracy in all NSW schools.
The strategy has been informed by the best available evidence on how to improve student outcomes in literacy and numeracy. An overview of the importance of literacy and numeracy skills and evidence-based practices for improving student outcomes in literacy and numeracy is available on the CESE website.
Five key elements
The strategy outlines five ways to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes:
- a continued focus on intervention in the early years of schooling
- clear guidance on explicit teaching and better, faster diagnostic assessments
- more support for literacy and numeracy in secondary schools
- quality training for teacher education students in literacy and numeracy
- rigorous evaluation to focus investment and effort on what works.
These five elements have helped shape all of the commitments made under the strategy.
Who is involved?
The strategy will be a combined effort between government bodies, school sectors, staff, students and parents. It will require action from:
- The NSW Department of Education (DoE)
- Catholic Schools, NSW (CSNSW)
- The Association of Independent Schools NSW (AISNSW)
- The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
- See the full Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017 - 2020 (PDF 4598.77KB)
- See a one page overview (PDF 42.27KB) of the strategy