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122 chapter 3: literacy-related activities in the home
Because literacy resources are dependent to a large extent on economic
considerations, Exhibits 3.6 and 3.7 present information on parents’
employment situations and occupational level. As shown in Exhibit 3.6, about
one third of students (36%), on average across countries, were from homes
where both parents were working full time for pay, about half (47%) from
homes where one (but not both) was working full time, and just 7 percent
from homes where both parents were working less than full time. Almost
one tenth (9%) were from homes with other situations. Internationally on
average, reading achievement was highest among students from homes
where both parents were working full time for pay and lowest where both
were working less than full time. However, for a number of participants,
average achievement was similar between both or either parent working full
time for pay, or even higher for only one parent working (Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Germany, and the Canadian province of Alberta).
As shown in Exhibit 3.7, parents’ responses to a question about the kinds
of work they did for their main job were grouped into seven categories:
professional, small business owner, clerical, skilled worker, general laborer,
never worked outside the home for pay, and not applicable. Students were
assigned to the highest occupational category of either parent, taking
professional as the highest category and never worked outside the home for
pay as the lowest. On average across countries, 35 percent of students had at
least one parent in a professional occupation, although the percentage varied
widely from country to country. Highest percentages (50% or more) were
reported in Denmark, Iceland, Kuwait, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland,
Sweden, and the Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia,
Ontario, and Quebec). Average student reading achievement was highest for
students with a parent in a professional occupation (533 points) and lowest
for students whose parents reported never working outside the home for pay
(409 points).