Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007
Foreword
After four years as Minister for Education, Science and Training, I now have the responsibility of focusing on Defence. These days my office walls are covered with photos of service men and women and souvenirs from visits to battlefields and bases.
But the largest portrait in my Canberra office is still of someone I have the highest admiration for and who continues to remind me of what is really important - the late Neville Bonner.
Born and raised in extreme poverty, Neville Bonner said the turning point in his life was the advice he received at age 14 from his grandmother, who told him that if he learned to read and write, communicate well and treat other people with decency and courtesy, that it would take him a long way.
Neville Bonner went on to become the first Indigenous member of the Federal Parliament, from where he not only served his country, but helped break down barriers within it.
If information is the currency of democracy, how can Australians participate unless they are able to read and write?
In December 2005, I launched the findings of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy. As mentioned in this inquiry, around 8% of Year 3 students and around 11% of Year 5 students are not achieving the minimum National Benchmarks for Reading.
It noted the obvious correlation between poor literacy and under-achievement, and consequent adverse affects on individuals and society, including problems with self-esteem, mental health, substance abuse and crime.
The inquiry noted the critical importance of teachers. But it also concluded that, unfortunately, the systematic support for classroom teachers to build the appropriate skills to teach reading effectively is inadequate.
The Australian Council for Educational Research plays an important role in creating and disseminating knowledge and providing tools that can be used to improve learning. Barbara Dykes is to be commended for the outstanding job she has done with this excellent publication.
As its name suggests, Grammar for Everyone seeks to provide practical tools for learning and teaching grammar - for everyone.
Grammar for Everyone provides a thorough reference guide for the different types of word, guidance for correct punctuation, instruction for optimal sentence structure and advice for a correct, clear and persuasive way to speak and write. Most importantly, Grammar for Everyone offers excellent advice for those in a position to teach others.
Australia must be a nation that values learning, has the highest admiration for those who teach and gets behind those who provide knowledge and research that can help students and teachers alike.
Australia is a wonderful country, with so much to offer. We must do everything we can to make sure all Australians can read, write and communicate well, so that they can reach their full potential, take advantage of the many opportunities available to them and fully participate in our society.
The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson MP