NUMERACY is

the ability of an individual to cope independently and adequately in situations in which numbers, tables, information graphics, and other numerical information play a role.

21st century skills

Numeracy, together with literacy and digital skills, forms an important triangle of basic skills for adults to cope with in today’s society both at home and at work (Tout et al., 2017). Numeracy is the ability of an individual to cope independently and adequately in situations in which numbers, tables, information graphics, and other numerical information play a role (e.g., Hoogland & Meeder, 2007). Numeracy skills enable individuals to solve problems and make critical decisions related to quantitative data. Examples include managing budgets, cooking and shopping, medication use, planning and commuting, reading the newspaper, and so on.

the need for numeracy

Many European citizens lack the necessary numeracy competencies to participate autonomously and effectively in our technologized and number-drenched society. The results of the last PIAAC survey (OECD, 2012, 2013, 2016; PIAAC Numeracy Expert Group, 2009) show that a quarter of the participating countries score below level 2 of the 6-point scale. This results in citizens being overlooked for certain jobs, and dealing with the abundance of number-related issues in daily life and work. This gives rise to serious cause for concern for the future economic development of Europe. This is an even more pressing issue since the amount of numerical data that needs to be interpreted and used is rapidly rising due to technological developments and the prevalence of (big) data.

The European Council recommends the enhancement of basic skills including literacy, numeracy, problem solving and digital skills as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy

CENF: a common European strategy

The Common European Numeracy Framework (CENF) is an Erasmus+ project. A comprehensive numeracy framework to identify key factors in improving the quality of numerate behavior of individuals has been developed. The project aims to improve the amount and the quality of numeracy courses (or other relevant educational endeavors) offered to adults to improve their changes of prospering in society. A multi-level approach is used to address:

Teachers and volunteers that are involved in the delivery of numeracy courses,
The teacher educators who deliver courses to those teachers and volunteers, and
Policy makers and other stakeholders who are responsible for creating opportunities for such courses.