Official Statistics and statistical literacy: They need each other

Abstract

Statistical literacy involves products that use words, numbers and graphs together to communicate messages. It includes skills in making and using these products. The focus for National Statistics Offices (NSOs) is on making data products, including statistical indicators. Such products are becoming more numerous, more detailed, more diverse, and more readily available. Students, in learning to make their own data products, can use Official Statistics as models of good practice, giving them a ready-made and large resource to draw on. Statistics New Zealand, like some other NSOs, has a number of products designed specifically to support school statistics learning and a larger number designed for public and/or professional audiences. We outline some established and new products of both forms including Synthetic Unit Record Files (SURFs) for schools and the educational use of [free] public releases including Hot Off The Presses, Infoshare (time-series data sets), Table Builder, and QuickStats about places and subjects. There are fun challenges for both official statistics agencies and statistical literacy educators here. We discuss how both groups can work together to ensure that the education community knows about these products and knows how to use them effectively. We need to ensure that these data products are accessible, interesting, valued and engaged with.

The Certificate in Official Statistics aims to advance the practice of statistical literacy in the Official Statistics sector. We outline our four years of experience with this qualification.