The Construction of a Crisis: Literacy in Canada
Mots-clés :
Adult literacy, Literacy assessment, Educational policy, Social marginalizationRésumé
À la suite de son sondage sur l’analphabétisme mené en 1987, Southam News a conclu sur un ton dramatique que 24% des Canadiens d’âge adulte sont des analphabètes fonctionnels. Dans la presse comme dans le sondage lui-même, la « crise » de l’analphabétisme a entraîné de graves méprises. Il nous faut savoir quels critères la presse a retenus pour décider ce qui constituerait un niveau d’analphabétisme inacceptable, comment le champ couvert par le sondage renforçait les définitions traditionnelles de la marginalisation et du fardeau social au sein de la société canadienne, comment les conclusions du sondage, qui décrivent l’analphabétisme en termes de scolarité, de profession et d’habitudes de lecture, peuvent donner lieu à des interprétations erronées et comment le type d’alphabétisation promu par le sondage tout comme l’attaque injustifiée qu’a lancée subséquemment Southam News contre les écoles sont de mauvais augure pour l’éducation.
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Références
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