4228.0 - Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, Summary Results, Australia, 2006 (Reissue)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 09/01/2008  Reissue
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GLOSSARY

Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED)


The ASCED is a national standard classification which includes all sectors of the Australian education system, that is, schools, vocational education and training, and higher education. From 2001, ASCED replaced a number of classifications used in administrative and statistical systems, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ). The ASCED comprises two classifications: Level of Education and Field of Education. See Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0).


Certificate not further defined


Survey responses were coded to Certificate not further defined (n.f.d.) when there was not enough information to code them to Certificate I, II, III or IV in the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0), Level of Education classification.


Document Literacy


The knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in various formats including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tables and charts.


Educational institution or organisation


An institution or organisation providing education or training such as Universities, TAFEs, Schools, organisations which provide Adult and Community Education, Business Colleges and Professional or Industry Associations.


Employed


Persons who, during the reference week:

  • worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business, or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers); or
  • worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or
  • were employees who had a job but were not at work; or
  • were employers or own account workers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.

Employed full time


Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and those who, although usually working less than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week.


Employed part time


Employed persons who usually worked less than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work in the reference week.


Field of education


Field of Education is defined as the subject matter of an educational activity. Fields of education are related to each other through the similarity of subject matter, through the broad purpose for which the education is undertaken, and through the theoretical content which underpins the subject matter. The field of education is classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat. no. 1272.0).


First language spoken


First Language Spoken is defined as the first language an individual masters during the language acquisition phase of intellectual development. This would generally be the language spoken in the home by the people who have raised the individual from infancy.


First wave countries


The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) is an international literacy survey that was completed by participating countries in successive waves. In 2003, the first wave of countries that participated in the ALL survey were Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and the United States. Second wave countries to take part in ALL survey were Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Hungary and South Korea.


Group or organisation


A group or organisation is any body with a formal structure. It may be as large as a national charity or as small as a local book club. Purely ad hoc, informal and temporary gatherings of people do not constitute an organisation.


Health literacy


The knowledge and skills required to understand and use information relating to health issues such as drugs and alcohol, disease prevention and treatment, safety and accident prevention, first aid, emergencies, and staying healthy.


Informal learning


Learning that results from daily work-related, family or leisure activities (OECD, 2006). Various informal learning activities are collected in ALLS and these activities can be analysed separately or be grouped into active and passive modes of informal learning.


Passive modes of informal learning include:

  • going on guided tours such as museums, art galleries, or other locations;
  • learning by being sent around an organisation to learn different aspects of that organisation;
  • visiting trade fairs, professional conferences or congresses; and
  • attending short lectures, seminars, workshops or special talks that were not part of a course.

Active modes of informal learning include:
  • learning by watching, getting help or advice from others but not from course instructors;
  • learning by yourself by trying things out, doing things for practice, trying different approaches to doing things;
  • using video, television, tapes to learn but not as part of a course;
  • using computers or the Internet to learn but not as part of a course; and
  • reading manuals, reference books, journals or other written materials but not as part of a course.

Industry


An individual business entity is assigned to an industry based on its predominant activity. Industry is classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial classification (ANZSIC) (cat. no. 1292.0).


Labour force status


Refers to the situation of respondents in relation to the labour force at the time of the survey. Categories are:

  • employed: had a job or business, or undertook work without pay in a family business in the week prior to the survey, including being absent from a job or business they had.
      • full-time: persons who usually work 35 hours or more per week; or
      • part-time: persons who usually work at least one hour, but less than 35 hours, per week.
  • unemployed: not employed and actively looked for work in the four weeks prior to the survey and available to start work in the week prior to the survey.
  • not in labour force: persons who were neither employed nor unemployed. They include people who are:
      • keeping house (unpaid);
      • retired, voluntarily inactive, or permanently unable to work; or
      • unpaid voluntary workers for charitable organisations.

Level (and Field) not determined


Level (and Field) not determined includes inadequately described responses and cases where no response was given.


Non-qualification course


A course that does not result in formal certification but is structured in content and delivery.


Non-school qualification


Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary or secondary education. They include qualifications at the Post Graduate degree level, Master Degree level, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate level, Bachelor Degree level, Advanced Diploma and Diploma level, and Certificates I, II, III and IV levels. Non-school qualifications may be attained concurrently with school qualifications.


Not in the labour force


Persons who were not in the categories employed or unemployed, as defined.


Numeracy


The knowledge and skills required to effectively manage and respond to the mathematical demands of diverse situations.


Occupation


A collection of jobs sufficiently similar in their main tasks (in terms of skill level and specialisation) to be grouped together for classification purposes. Occupation has been dual classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) and Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO).


Personal gross income


Regular and recurring cash receipts including monies received from wages and salaries, government pensions and allowances, and other regular receipts such as superannuation, workers' compensation, child support, scholarships, profit or loss from own unincorporated business or partnership and property income. Gross income is the sum of the income from all these sources before income tax or the Medicare levy are deducted.


Personal gross income - median


Median personal gross weekly income was calculated by dividing the distribution of gross weekly reported income into two equal groups, one receiving income above and the other income below that amount.


Personal gross income - quintile


These are groupings of 20% of the total population of Australia when ranked in ascending order according to gross personal income.


The quintile boundaries for gross personal income for the 2006 ALLS population were:

  • Lowest quintile: Up to $204 per week
  • Second quintile: $204 to $403 per week
  • Third quintile: $403 to $738 per week
  • Fourth quintile: $738 to $1151 per week
  • Highest quintile: $1151 or more per week

The quintile boundaries for gross personal income for the 1996 SAL population were:
  • Lowest quintile: Up to $115 per week
  • Second quintile: $115 to $230 per week
  • Third quintile: $230 to $461 per week
  • Fourth quintile: $461 to $691 per week
  • Highest quintile: $691 or more per week

Problem Solving


Problem solving is goal-directed thinking action in situations for which no routine solution procedure is available. The understanding of the problem situation and its step-by-step transformation, based on planning and reasoning, constitute the process of problem solving.


Proficiency in spoken English


The self-assessed level of ability to speak English in every day situations, asked of people whose first language spoken was a language other than English or who speak a language other than English at home.


Prose Literacy


The knowledge and skills needed to understand and use various kinds of information from text including editorials, news stories, brochures and instruction manuals.


Qualification


A course that results in formal certification, issued by a relevant approved body, in recognition that a person has achieved learning outcomes or competencies relevant to identified individual, professional, industry or community needs. Statements of attainment awarded for partial completion of a course of study at a particular level are excluded.


Self-assessed health status


The selected person's general assessment of their own health, against a five point scale from excellent through to poor.


Self perception of skills


The selected person's self-perception of their own literacy skills, given against a four point scale from excellent through to poor (for example a respondent would be asked to self-rate their reading and writing skills).


Social marital status


A person's relationship status in terms of whether she or he forms a couple relationship with another person.


State or territory


Classified according to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0).


Studying full-time


Enrolment in study full-time as reported by the respondent.


Studying part-time


Enrolment in study part-time as reported by the respondent.


Unemployed


Persons aged 15-74 who were not employed (as defined), had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week, and were available for work in the reference week if they had found a job.


Unpaid volunteer


A person who provides unpaid help willingly undertaken in the form of time, service or skills, to an organisation or group.


Worked in the last 12 months


Had at least one employer or own business in the last 12 months.


Years of formal education


Refers to a person’s number of completed years in formal studies at the primary, secondary or further education level. Part time study is converted to its full-time equivalent.