Summary:
When a child has poor literacy, we have failed them. This talk asks why we’re getting it wrong, and how to fix it – backed by evidence, led by experts.
Every child deserves the chance to learn to read. But that that expectation is too often unmet.
In 2023, just 40% of Tasmanian students met expected literacy levels, among the lowest results in the country. These children are not compromised by lack of ability, but by the failure of systems designed to support them.
We know how to teach reading. The evidence is clear: high-quality, explicit instruction works, especially for those most at risk. Yet too many children, especially those starting from behind, are being left behind by slow reform and muddled policy. This isn’t just an education problem. It’s a matter of social justice and a public health imperative.
This talk confronts the cost and history of Australia’s literacy failures, calling for evidence-based action to ensure every child learns to read. Because when we fail a child on literacy, we fail them for life.
Tickets are free but essential, get yours now to avoid missing out.
Presenter(s):
- Distinguished Professor Pamela Snow, La Trobe University Distinguished Professor (Cognitive Psychology) and Co-Director, Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab, La Trobe University
- Hosted by Leanne Mclean, Director, Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, University of Tasmania, and former Tasmanian Commissioner for Children and Young People
Pre-event refreshments:
Head to the venue early and enjoy complimentary refreshments from 5.30pm.
The Sandy Duncanson Legacy:
Each year, the University of Tasmania presents a public lecture in honour of Alexander (Sandy) Duncanson, to raise awareness of social justice issues among students, staff, legal professionals, and the broader Tasmanian community. Sandy Duncanson was a Tasmanian lawyer deeply respected for his work in community legal services and housing advocacy. He died in June 2010, aged 37, after living with cancer for 16 years. As a law student in 2002, Sandy visited the Woomera Detention Centre to interview people seeking asylum—an experience that shaped his unwavering commitment to social justice and guided the course of his career.
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