This document proposes an alternative literacy policy for primary school students from low socio-economic backgrounds in Victoria. The policy establishes 5 goals: 1) Increase funding to government primary schools to drop all school fees; 2) Reconnect and engage low SES students through community partnerships; 3) Redefine literacy and acknowledge diverse languages; 4) Abolish standardized NAPLAN testing; 5) Support teacher professional judgment over standardized assessments. The policy is informed by research on best practices from high-performing education systems like Finland, and aims to create a more inclusive, supportive learning environment through improved funding, pedagogy, and engagement with students' home experiences.

1. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
1
The idiomatic saying “History is written by the victors” is true as well of policy, it
serves as the imposition of values as chosen by the power holders of the time.
Policy is written as a solution to a problem and in education it is used to drive and
implement change.
This paper will propose an alternative literacy policy, one that reflects on learner
specific research and current international best practice. The first section of this
paper will be the presentation of the policy while the second half of this paper will
be the rational and supporting research findings.
It is hard to escape the irony of politicians and powerbrokers speaking to the
public on issues they are ill qualified to. We cringed when Gina Rinehart told us
to “work harder”, or when Peter Garret, a former rock singer, became Minister for
School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. If context is as important as we
are led to believe, then a policy that is written from the context it aims to serve is
essential. For this very reason only a progressive policy written by teachers who
view education from a classroom perspective will ensure student centered
personal and academic growth for all Victorian primary school students.
Our voices and our accents are defining features of our personalities, each
different accent positioning us in a location and providing a window into each
diverse family. Unfortunately accents not only locate us in place but also define
our social class or they can guide the application of a stereotype. We need only
look back on old television footage to see how our accents are changing as a
diverse, multicultural shift in Australia’s population occurs.

2. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
2
With such a diverse population comes a need to reflect and review previous
literacy education policies and assess their appropriateness for this generation of
learner. This review was completed in assignment 1, viewing current literacy
policy through the frame of students from a low Socio-Economic Status and
research into the pedagogy and ideological shift when Multi-Modal texts are used
in schools.
The process of writing this policy was led by researching current best literacy
education practice from around the world. The Organisation of Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) commissioned an international study to
evaluate educational systems throughout the world. The Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) began in 1997 and collects data and
assesses the effectiveness of education in 70 participating countries. (“About
Pisa”, 2012)
The most recent key findings to come from this programme are from 2009.
Looking at the data from these findings the top three performing countries on the
overall reading scale are China, Korea and Finland. Using this same scale
Australia ranks 9th
overall. If Australia aspires to matching the educational
performance of the top ranking nations we must surely look at the literacy
policies of the top performing nations.
The much-lauded Finnish education system provides an interesting basis for
comparison. Below are some key differences between the Finnish and Australian
education systems as outlined in Finland’s Basic Education Act of 1998. The
document states that students are to start basic school education in the year the

3. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
3
student turns 7 years of age. In Victoria students can start school as young as 4,
providing they turn 5 by April 30. Schooling is compulsory from the age of 6.
In Finland Education is free, text-books and materials are provided free of charge
and all students are provided with a free daily meal. In Victoria we have a
Government school system that is heavily subsidized and provided for all school-
aged students. Parents are asked to make a small financial contribution that
covers essential curriculum resources. In my experience this is on average $350.
The other alternative for education in Victoria is through enrollment in a privately
run educational institution. The private school system is funded through
individuals paying high enrollment fees, yet still receiving heavy financial support
from the state government. The government funding provided to support the
Finnish Education System sends a clear message by the government to the
public as to the value it places on education. (“The Finnish National Board of
Education - Basic Education”, 2012)

4. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
4
A LITERACY POLICY FOR STUDENTS FROM FAMILIES
WITH A LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS IN VICTORIAN
PRIMARY SCHOOLS. (LiPo)
Introducing the LiPo paper, a student-centered policy that will establish 5
educational goals, each with a mandated area of change to support at low SES
learners in Victorian Primary Schools.
1. The first goal of this policy is to encourage and promote the value our
society places on quality education through increasing funding to
Government Primary Schools. Guaranteed increases in funding will
support a mandated dropping of all school fees to attend Victorian
Government Primary schools.
2. The second goal is to reconnect and engage our low SES students.
3. The third aim of this policy is to redefine what it means to be “literate” as
well as reviewing the mono-linguistic representation of language in
Australia.
4. The Fourth aim is to abolish the National Assessment Program Literacy
and Numeracy and support teachers to make insightful professional
judgment of student’s academic development.
BACKGROUND

5. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
5
As education moves into the 21st
century, education policy must also move and
adapt. While concepts in curriculum areas such as Mathematics remain
consistent, Literacy and language evolves and reflects our societal standards
and a far greater pace.
The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) introduced
in 2009 brought high stakes, standardised assessment into Australian schools.
Then in 2010 in a move that closely mirrored the United Kingdom’s, the Labor
government took their MySchool website online. MySchool is an online database
that allows the public to monitor the educational health of their school. While not
the intended purpose, it has also become a comparative database that allows the
public to compare and contrast the profile and academic performance of publicly
funded schools throughout Australia. The introduction of these two policies
brought a level of public accountability not before experienced by schools.
The implementation of these policies appears paradoxical to the 21st
century
environment it was designed. The inherent aim to standardize and contain our
increasingly fluid world that is exemplified by diverse communication modes and
an ease of mobility. (Comber, 2011)
STUDENTS FROM LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS
Low Socio-Economic Status or SES is a collective term for students whose family
is in the bottom 25% for the three key indicators of income, education and
occupation. Students from Low SES families face a number of well-recognised
constraints and often find external forces can block their access to education.
These are more often than not exerted through policy and pedagogy. Hay &
Fielding-Barnsley (2009) noted that families from low SES communities have a

6. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
6
greater prevalence of children with early literacy difficulties and attributed this to
poor levels of finance, attendance and educational aspiration.
Identification and supporting these students ensures a break in the cycle of living
within low SES measures.
MULTI-MODIAL TEXTS IN OUR SCHOOLS
The third goal outlined in the LiPo paper aims to ensure that students in Victorian
Public Schools develop strategies and skills to understand the increasingly
complex ways information is shared in contemporary society.
With the launch of every new piece of mobile technology we can see the thirst
our society has for change and connectivity. These technologies rapidly change
the way that communication and meaning is constructed in our lives and
therefore schools need to adapt and grow at an equally fierce pace.
Advertising is embedded now in all forms of communication. Facebook
customizes advertising depending on your status updates, Google will rank
search results based upon your browsing history and even traditional newsprint
media are embedding paid advertorials as part of their content.
Adding curriculum content that investigates the multimodal choices that are made
in advertising will empower our citizens to make informed choices and decisions
about their life. Failure to acknowledge the multimodal methods of meaning
making will leave our youngest citizens vulnerable to manipulation. Currently we
see this in the increasing amount of personal debt that Victorians are incurring.
My experiences suggest that this is the result of heavy marketing and cleverly
concealed facts. Failure to interpret the purpose of credit card advertising could
lead to bad credit rating and serious financial difficulties.

7. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
7
Once again we only have to look as far as Finland to see that as part of their
basic education curriculum, they have prioritised media and communication to
support student’s critical analysis of the multi-media world that we live.
RATIONAL
Each educational goal in the LiPo paper is written with a background in current
academic research. The following rational links each goal with the theories
behind its inclusion.
For students from low SES backgrounds there is a clear problem gaining access
to contemporary technologies. Being excluded or experiencing limited access
means that these students are missing out on the cultural capital that can allow
them to break out of the poor economic position they find themselves in.
The first goal of this policy is to encourage and promote the value our society
places on quality education through increasing funding to Government Primary
Schools. This policy decrees that school’s lines of funding change and
compulsory fees be scrapped for all Government educational institutions.
Currently primary schools can set their fees made up of compulsory, optional
extras and voluntary components. Hay & Fielding-Barnsley (2009) noted that
families from low SES communities have a greater prevalence of children with
early literacy difficulties and attributed this to poor levels of finance, attendance
and educational aspiration. Taking away this fee structure removes any real or
perceived financial stress and supports the cultural shift back to valuing
education. The purchase of essential items such as textbooks and consumables
will be included as part of the free education.

8. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
8
The policies second aim is to reconnect and engage our low SES students. This
reengagement is achieved through making strong connections between their
home experiences and their school experiences. Schools are required to make
strong community links and support students interactions with the community by
taking learning away from the classroom and out into real life. Often what occurs
inside and outside of a school can be discreet entities. This policy aims to make
the two experiences intertwined. Jewitt & Kress wrote of the powerful effect on
student learning when they have an opportunity to represent themselves and
their peers,
“Student film-makers and photographers use their linguistic and cultural diversity,
along with appropriations and adaptations of popular culture as a potential
resources for conveying complex meanings as they exploit the affordance of
multiple modes.” (Jewitt & Kress, 2003)
This policy proposes to support the funding and development of shared school
and community libraries. This partnership will see the expansion of resources
and physical spaces of school libraries and open them to the local communities
as “shared learning hubs”. As part of the Reading Finland policy aimed at
improving reading standards, the Finnish National Board of Education published
“A Good School Library” document outlining the significant role libraries play in
literacy development. This text acknowledges that a library is “the heart of the
school” and as such, offers an empowering connection to support education in
growth through out communities with low SES profiles. (Frantsi, Kolu &
Salminen, 2002)
The third aim of this policy is to redefine what it means to be “literate” as well as
reviewing the mono-linguistic representation of language in Australia. The soon

9. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
9
to be implemented AusVELS document places a strong emphasis on the learning
of “Standard Australian English”,
“Although Australia is a linguistically and culturally diverse country,
participation in many aspects of Australian life depends on effective
communication in Standard Australian English. In addition, proficiency in
English is invaluable globally. The Australian Curriculum: English
contributes both to nation-building and to internationalisation.”
(The Australian Curriculum V3.0 English: Rational, 2012)
This rational privileges and empowers those students who already have access
to Australian Standard English. This statement presents a reductionist view of
language instead of presenting opportunities to recognise and explore the rich
language experiences that our multicultural student body possesses. (Fehring &
Nyland, 2012)
The Fourth aim is to abolish the National Assessment Program Literacy and
Numeracy and support teachers to make insightful professional judgment of
student’s academic development. While there is merit in standardized testing,
NAPLAN doesn’t allow for contemporary literacy practices to be assessed.
Concepts such as visual and critical literacy are forsaken for traditional literacy
skills such as grammar, spelling and writing.
Comber writes of her participation in an ongoing Australian Research Council
(ARC) project into the reorganisation of teachers work that due to standardized
testing such as NAPLAN, “Primary teachers have reported that they have less
time for work in subject such as the visual arts”. It is also noted that teachers are
preparing students solely for the purpose of success on NAPLAN (teaching to the
test) and that a considerable amount of school resources are dedicated towards

10. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
10
the management, collection, organization and interpretation of the test itself.
(Comber, 2011)
The abolishment of this standardized testing scheme will allow a time-poor
profession an opportunity to increase their time spent on recognized practices
that truly support student development. Increasing the time for planning and
engaging in professional development will facilitate stronger relationships with
students. Knowing your students as well as having an open and trusting
relationships has been recognized by Maslow, and other educational
psychologists, as essential to cognitive and social growth. (Gawel, 1997)
Teaching and Learning Practices.
The shift in focus presented in this policy relies heavily on a fundamental change
in the approach to pedagogical practice. Comber wrote of this shift in her 2011
article, stating that changes in population, teacher workforce, Communication
modes and a heavy prioritisation of high stakes testing had necessitated a move
towards an inclusive pedagogy. (Comber, 2011)
As educators we must embrace and use the diversity of our student body as a
resource for critical literacy in the classroom. Teachers and students must work
together to create media that has a genuine social and educational purpose.
We must support the use of Project Based Learning to provide the realistic
context that supports the development of functional grammar and literacy
practices.
In their 2012 journal article Parsing The Australian Curriculum: Grammar,
multimodality and cross-cultural texts, Exley and Mills present an example of how
this can be achieved. They present a critical analysis of two pieces of advertising
for Coke Zero soft drink, one example from Korea and one from Australia. These

11. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
11
two examples allow for rich discussions and comparisons of purpose and culture
through the framework of a meta-language that is core to school based literacy.
(Van Leeuwen, 1993)
While we continue to recycle educational policies from the United States of
America and the United Kingdom (ranked 17th
and 25th
respectively on the PISA
overall reading scale), we will continue to see the same educational decline in
our students. If we need a clear example of this in action, Australia’s NAPLAN
standardized tests and MySchool website clearly mirrors the Standard
Assessment Test (SAT) and Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) school
reviews which are an embedded part of the UK education system.
In Conclusion, while it is impossible to create a silver bullet to protect Victorian
students from the cycle of life with a low SES profile, improving engagement,
funding and literacy pedagogy in Victorian Government Schools can support
students to achieve their best in life. Implementing A LITERACY POLICY FOR
STUDENTS FROM FAMILIES WITH A LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS IN
VICTORIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS will create an inclusive, supportive and
aspirational school experience which is clearly modeled on international best
practice and research.

12. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
12
REFERENCES
1. About PISA – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
(2012, September) retrieved from
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/
2. Comber, B. (2011). Changing literacies, changing populations, changing
places--English teachers' work in an age of rampant standardisation.
English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 10(4), 5-22.
3. The Australian Curriculum V3.0 English: Rational. (August, 2012).
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Rationale
4. Fehring, H., & Nyland, B. (2012). Curriculum Directions in Australia: Has
the New Focus on Literacy (English) and Assessment Narrowed the
Education Agenda? Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 20(2), 7-16.
5. Frantsi, H., Kolu, K., & Salminen, S. (2002). A Good School Library.
Finland: The School Library Association in Finland The Finnish National
Board of Education.
6. Gawel, J. E., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, W.
C. (1997). Herzberg's Theory of Motivation and Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs. ERIC/AE Digest.

13. Justin Cole
Student # 557426
Master of Literacy, Literacy Planning and Diversity.
Assignment 2
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7. Hay, I., & Fielding-Barnsley, R. (2009). Competencies that underpin
children's transition into early literacy. Australian Journal Of Language &
Literacy, 32(2), 148-162.
8. Jewitt, C., & Kress, G. (Eds.). (2003). Multimodal literacy. New York, NY:
Peter Lang.
9. The Finnish National Board of Education - Basic Education:. (2012,
October). Retrieved from
http://www.oph.fi/english/sources_of_information/core_curricula_and_quali
fication_requirements/basic_education
10.Van Leeuwen, T. (1993) Genre and field in critical discourse analysis: a
synopsis. Discourse and Society, 4(2), 193-223.