'Summit' to be held as new figures reveal nearly a third of Hartlepool's adult population is 'functionally illiterate'

Literacy levels in Hartlepool for those aged 16 and over, based on their highest qualification, indicate 24,794 of the adult population are “functionally illiterate”, equating to 33.2%.

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs have outlined how numerous steps are to be taken to help address the issue, raise awareness and support residents.

This will include a “literacy summit”, a “call to action” to work with local businesses, community organisations and education providers as well as councillor “literacy champions” being named.

A new literacy strategy will also be developed to enable “adults to further improve their skills acquisition”.

Figures based around The Office for National Statistics Census 2021 data also showed 23.6% of residents aged 16 and over have no formal identified qualifications, equating to around 17,625 people.

Additionally 7,169 have either entry level qualifications which are “equivalent to literacy levels” at age 5-11 or “very poor literacy skills” equivalent to old GCSE grades D-G.

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The information was presented to the latest meeting of the local authority’s economic growth and regeneration committee, where councillors stressed the importance of the issue and backed carrying out measures to help tackle it.

Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, the chair of the committee, said: “It’s really stark when you consider that a third of the people in the town can’t engage with much of the literature that we put out.

“When you think about things like medicine bottles and people not being able to read the medicine that they might have to administer to their young children, I think that really brings it home.”

Councillor Corinne Male noted the council needs to think “more creatively” around how it provides information, adding there is “so much potential which needs to be unlocked”.

Council officers added it is an issue across the Tees Valley and work is already taking place to ensure literature they produce uses language which can be understood by everyone.

Gemma Ptak, assistant director for preventative and community based services, said: “We want to support adults with low literacy to increase their self-esteem and improve their skills so that they can then reap the benefits of what that would bring.”