This year the Reading Writing Hotline celebrates 30 years of supporting adults across Australia to improve their literacy, numeracy and digital skills (LND). It’s a wonderful achievement.
The Hotline was originally established as a telephone support line for the 1994 ABC TV series The Reading Writing Roadshow, an educational series of mixed drama, motivation and direct teaching. Soon after, it evolved into a national referral and advisory phone service for adults wanting to improve their LND skills.
Over the past thirty years the Hotline has responded to the changing needs of callers and the LND field, as well as leveraging off technological advances. It now has a unique database of around 1600 LND providers throughout Australia. One of those providers is Read Write Now which regularly receives Hotline referrals. For example, a recent Hotline referral to RWN, was a fly in fly out mining worker who was looking for a flexible option to improve his literacy.
The secret to the longevity of the Hotline could be the simplicity for potential learners of using a phone to find support, and having experienced Hotline teachers at the other end of the line who can quickly establish trust and rapport. Though the Hotline now receives inquiries and visits to its website (approximately 66,000 last year) the phones remain an enduring contact point.
Another factor in the Hotline’s longevity has been its ability to adapt, respond and innovate in changing environments. With a diminishing number of literacy and numeracy teachers and LND programs in Australia, the Hotline has developed workbooks and resources to assist learners and teachers. Some of these resources, such as the Volunteer Tutor Training Program have been developed with the support of RWN. These are all available and free on the Hotline website. You can also follow the Hotline on Facebook.
As one of the few national centres of adult literacy and numeracy expertise, the Hotline also plays an important and often hidden role in connecting the LND field with broader stakeholders. For example, libraries who are interested in setting up an adult literacy tutor program, often ring the Hotline for contacts of other libraries who are running similar programs.
Over 30 years the Hotline has also expanded its role to provide information and advice on adult literacy to a wider range of stakeholders including employers, industry groups, government policy makers, NGOs and community organisations. The Hotline‘s data from callers represents one of the most important and unique sources of insights into what we know about adult literacy in Australia. It is an opportunity to hear directly from the voices of people who experience LND gaps.
Congratulations to the Hotline team, and we look forward to the next 30 years of working together to build adult literacy in our communities.