Employers say many young job applicants have a lack of basic skills
Teachers say there needs to be a bigger focus on the joy of reading if we want to lift literacy results among high school students.
NSW
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Teachers fear the introduction of a new state curriculum will do little to fix the alarming state of literacy for the state’s struggling year 9 students.
English Teachers’ Association of NSW president Eva Gold said the syllabus for 2024 did not do enough to promote the joy of reading a book.
“There is not enough of the organic joy and excitement of learning and I think that’s really sad.”
Just 89.7 per cent of year 9 kids reached the minimum standard this year compared to 94.4 per cent in 2009. Apprenticeship Employment Network executive director Gary Workman said employers were concerned by the lack of basic skills.
Castle Hill dad Anthony Bonnici said the rise of apps like TikTok meant children – including his twins Isabella and Milan, 16, and son Sam, 14 – were less likely to read. “The dopamine hit from the video and entertainment aspect of a phone or device overrules the patience required for the longevity of a novel,” he said.
Originally published as Employers say many young job applicants have a lack of basic skills
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