National and international evidence suggests that in many education systems, including New Zealand, large numbers of students graduate from or leave school without the levels of literacy and language knowledge and skills needed for successful 21st century living.
The education research literature identifies that there are many challenges in meeting the literacy demands of upper primary and secondary schooling. In New Zealand, adolescent literacy interventions, such as the Secondary Literacy Project (SLP), are part of a wider strategy for addressing underachievement, especially for Māori and Pasifika students.