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Compulsory hurdle literacy and numeracy requirements for senior secondary students: what do the stakeholders think?

As a policy initiative to improve student achievement, a number of jurisdictions have introduced compulsory literacy and numeracy standards for senior secondary students, the meeting of which forms a hurdle requirement for the award of the senior secondary exit certificate. While such a requirement is sometimes justified by policymakers as a response to the concerns of interested groups such as employers and further education providers, these concerns are usually anecdotal in nature. There is a dearth of research examining the views of these groups regarding compulsory literacy and numeracy exit requirements for senior students. This study sought to redress this lack by exploring, through interviews and focus groups, the views of Australian employers, teachers, parents and a range of further education providers regarding compulsory literacy and numeracy exit standards. Participants were asked about the degree of support for such standards, which literacy and numeracy skills they deemed essential for successful transitions to work, further study and civic participation, and their views on potential means of assessing compulsory literacy and numeracy standards. Most participants were in favour of compulsory exit literacy and numeracy standards, but views on the nature of the essential skills students required, and on appropriate assessment methods, differed widely. Implications for policymakers are discussed.