To investigate literacy instruction and policy in the UK and Ireland

Policies and practices in other countries are influential in federal and state policy decisions. In the United Kingdom and Ireland there is great variability in literacy rates and policy. England's reforms in the past decade have been effective there and influential in Australia. However, less is known about policy and practice in the other countries. Of particular interest are Ireland and Northern Ireland, which have among the highest literacy scores of primary school students in English-speaking countries for several decades but there is a lack of published research to explain it. The project investigated and and drew conclusions about the interplay between policy and historical and cultural contexts, and described potential lessons for Australia.