The importance of literacy and numeracy

Literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills are essential foundations for learning, educational attainment, personal enrichment, social interaction and future employment. Literate and numerate students better understand and negotiate their world and are able to actively participate in all aspects of society as ethical and informed citizens.

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Being literate is more than the acquisition of technical skills: It includes the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create and communicate purposefully using written, visual and digital forms of expression and communication for a number of purposes in different contexts.

The established functions of speaking and listening, reading and writing, and viewing and representing remain central to being literate, together with literacy demands related to a range of visual and multimodal texts - including those that have evolved from the growth of digital technologies. Students need the knowledge and skills required for judicious use of these technologies and to question, challenge and evaluate the role of these technologies and the wider implications of their use for contemporary society.

Numeracy involves drawing on knowledge of particular contexts and circumstances in deciding when to use mathematics, choosing the mathematics to use, and critically evaluating its use.

Students become numerate as they develop the capacity to recognise and understand the role of mathematics in the world around them and the confidence, willingness and ability to apply mathematics to their lives in constructive and meaningful ways. Highly numerate students interpret, apply and critically evaluate mathematical strategies, and communicate mathematical reasoning in a range of practical situations.

The English and Mathematics learning areas have a particular role in the development of literacy and numeracy skills. English provides a focus on language and meaning. Mathematics provides opportunities to select, use, evaluate and communicate mathematical ideas in a range of situations.

In addition, all curriculum areas have a responsibility for the development and use of discipline-specific literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills.

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Students in NSW are supported to meet a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to receive the HSC. Learn more about the HSC minimum standard:

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