ALL (Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey)

This report provides an initial investigation into the relationships between education level, numeracy, participation in up-skilling and self-assessed numeracy through the adult populations of New Zealand and Australia.

This report, based on the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey 2006, examines the link between English literacy and numeracy skills and educational qualifications by looking at the characteristics of people who have high levels of qualifications but low levels of literacy or numeracy, and at those who have high levels of literacy or numeracy despite low levels of qualifications.

It finds that among those with degrees but low levels of English literacy, two thirds were people with English as an additional language, while among those with degrees but low levels of numeracy, half had English as an additional language. Leaving out people for whom English is an additional language, the level of educational qualifications is a good indicator of literacy and numeracy skill levels.

Highly skilled people with low levels of qualifications were more likely to have completed year 12 or 13 at school than to have left school at year 11 or earlier, were more likely to have been born in New Zealand than overseas, and were almost all native speakers of English. We would have expected that there would be a large number of people in older age groups with low levels of qualifications but high levels of skills – people with high ability who left school and went into work in the days before access to tertiary education was widespread. That turns out not to be the case.

The report uses data from the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey to look at New Zealanders who have English as an additional language. It explores their literacy and numeracy skills and educational qualifications and the effect of having English as an additional language on employment and income opportunities.

This report — which complements Literacy and Life Skills for Pasifika Adults — investigates the extent to which the distribution of English literacy among Pasifika adults is associated with changes in the distribution of their educational attainment and familiarity with English.

The 2006 ALL survey was designed to measure the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills among the adult population of New Zealand. The ALL survey included an oversample of Pasifika adults. This design feature has allowed meaningful insights into the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills among the adult Pasifika population of New Zealand.

This report — which complements Literacy and Life Skills for Maori Adults — investigates the extent to which the distribution of literacy among Maori adults is associated with a range of potential explanatory factors.

The 2006 ALL survey measured skills in prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy and problem solving. The ALL survey included an oversample of Māori adults. This design feature has allowed meaningful analyses of the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills among the adult Māori population of New Zealand.

This study used data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills survey to look at the extent to which hourly wages can be explained by skills and qualifications across industries and occupations. Hourly wages can be viewed as a measure of employee productivity. The results show that qualifications and literacy and numeracy skills are both related to higher hourly wages. However, the effects differ across industries and occupation. In addition, age, gender and first-language also have an influence on wages.

These two fact sheets provide short analyses from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey 2006. They look at:

• The relationship between New Zealanders’ education level and their assessment of their well-being
• The extent to which educational qualifications can be used to predict literacy and numeracy levels

Profile & Trends 2007 contains a number of short articles covering a wide range of topics of interest to the sector’s stakeholders and those who are involved in the provision of tertiary education.

Profile & Trends 2007 contains a number of short articles covering a wide range of topics of interest to the sector’s stakeholders and those who are involved in the provision of tertiary education.

Profile & Trends 2007 contains a number of short articles covering a wide range of topics of interest to the sector’s stakeholders and those who are involved in the provision of tertiary education.

Profile & Trends 2007 contains a number of short articles covering a wide range of topics of interest to the sector’s stakeholders and those who are involved in the provision of tertiary education.

This report is the third in a series of four that investigate the initial results of the ALL survey. It presents an overview of New Zealanders’ skills in relation to gender and ethnicity, and any changes since 1996.

This report is the fourth in a series of four that investigate the initial results of the ALL survey. It presents an overview of New Zealanders’ skills in relation to age, and any changes since 1996.

This report presents an overview of New Zealanders’ skills in relation to educational and labour force characteristics and compares results from the 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) with results from the 2006 ALL survey. It was originally published in May 2008 and revised in April 2009. Please note that the original version of this report, published in May 2008, contained errors in Figures 6.1-6.5 and the associated commentary of Chapter 6: Occupation. This current and revised version rectifies these errors. You can also download each amended section independently on this page.

This report is the first in a series of four that investigate the initial results of the ALL survey. It examines any changes in literacy and numeracy skill between the 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey - results collected in New Zealand in 2006. It also compares the results from the New Zealand ALL survey with those from Australia, Canada and the USA.

This publication is intended as an introduction to the ALL survey. It explains the nature of the ALL survey, its application and how the ALL survey results will be presented. It contains none of the ALL survey results.

This fact-sheet is a sequel to that entitled The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey: Headline Results and Background.

This fact-sheet provides the first headline results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey together with some background information.

This poster is intended as an introduction to the ALL study. It seeks to explain the nature of the ALL study, its application, and how the ALL results will be presented. It contains none of the ALL results itself.