Globe & Mail: "Reading is more than a black-and-white issue"

Globe and Mail, November 3, 2005

Canada is experiencing a costly deficit in human capital. Far too many adults in this country have difficulty with basic literacy tasks, and this has serious negative impact on our economy and our social fabric.

Literacy was a top priority this week - as it should be - when education ministers from the provinces and territories met in Toronto. The economic arguments alone to support literacy initiatives are powerful. For instance, new research from Statistics Canada shows that investment in education is three times as important to economic growth over the long run as investment in physical capital, such as machinery and equipment."