Citizenship and Numeracy: Implications for Youth, Employment and Life Beyond the School Yard

Abstract

Forms of numeracy needed for contemporary life in postmodern society represent qualitatively different forms of knowledge and processes than those of previous times. Drawing on some examples from Australia, it is argued that schools, teachers and young students can adopt Habermas' forms of knowledge in the development of new numeracies for contemporary, informed citizenship.˚It is proposed that students need to develop new forms of numeracies, including critical numeracy, if they are to be competent and confident citizens in postmodern societies.