Literacy programme boosts incomes

Metua Rakei is now at university. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

A unique literacy programme in Auckland's poorest suburbs has been credited with boosting weekly incomes of families who took part by an average of $200.

The Manukau Family Literacy programme encourages parents to go to their child's school or early childhood centre for about 20 hours a week and work towards an introductory certificate in early childhood teaching. As part of the course caregivers spend 20 minutes a day reading with their children.

A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers has put a dollar value on the programme which began as a pilot in 2003, noting the average rise in each family's income after finishing the course was about $200 a week.

It estimated that for every dollar spent on the programme, there was a $9.41 long-term saving to society because it encouraged parents to gain qualifications and helped prevent illiteracy in families.

Those who took part had less need for Government support, such as the domestic purposes or unemployment benefits, the report said.

The programme was started by the City of Manukau Education Trust and AUT University in 2003 to tackle literacy problems in some of the poorest suburbs in Manukau.

Seventy per cent of the adults had no school qualifications and the same percentage were on a benefit.

The report found that two-thirds of the 85 adults who had completed the course went on to further study. About 42 per cent found work, and almost three-quarters were less reliant on state income support.

The trust is hoping the latest results will encourage extra funding so the course can be expanded. In three years, 85 families had done the course, but the trust estimates there are at least 4000 families in Manukau where the adults have no qualifications or only reached fifth form.

Next year the trust wants to get another 100 families involved in the programme and has 15 schools lined up to take them on.

However, the course costs $14,118 per family a year to run. The trust, with AUT, has applied for $1.47 million in further funding from the Tertiary Education Commission.

Trust chief executive Bernardine Vester said the Pricewaterhouse-Coopers report also showed an increase in aspirations of the children and parents. "The children's school achievement can be expected to result in reduced future welfare costs, a decrease in alternative education spending and an increase in their future income."

A child who was interested in school and left with qualifications was less likely to turn to social welfare or be involved in crime and would have a higher income.

Graduating adults received a foundation level certificate from AUT in Introduction to Early Childhood Education.


Words of wisdom

When Metua Rakei graduates with her degree in social work next year, she will spare a moment to thank a young boy for nagging at his granny to come to school and read to him in 2003.

A Cook Islander, she first came to live in New Zealand in 2000 because she needed a kidney transplant.

The mother of four had no school qualifications and English was her second language, making her loath to mix with people from other cultures.

Her grandson, then 7, came home from school every day and told her to join a new course about to start at Rowandale School in Manurewa.

Ms Rakei, 45, eventually relented.

The year after she did the course, she enrolled to do a social work degree at Auckland University's College of Education.

She said the Rowandale course wasn't just about literacy. She learned parenting skills, and how to look after her family's health. "The things I learned made me change myself."