Implement Gonski to save literacy: AEU

Reports that Australia is facing a potential literacy crisis has prompted the education union to call on the federal government to implement the full Gonski model.

"Reports today that one-in-five children is not ready to learn when they begin school are a concern and show the importance of needs-based Gonski funding to help these children catch-up," the AEU said in a statement on Sunday.

It was responding to a report due to be released by the Centre for Independent Studies, which says that 20 per cent of students who started school this year don't have the skills to learn properly.

The number of children who don't understand enough words to learn how to read goes up to 30 per cent in disadvantaged areas.

AEU President Correna Haythorpe says this shows the importance of targeting funding to schools were the needs are highest.

She said the report backs a study by the Mitchell Institute last year into the links between disadvantage and poor school results, which found there was a clear link between starting school not ready to learn, and failing to go on to further education or work after school.

She believes that students who are behind can catch up, but is concerned schools lack the resources to provide such a high level of support.

"Things like intensive one-to-one support, literacy programs or in some cases speech therapy are important for helping children catch up, but these take time and money which many schools don't have," she said.