Canada's ministers of education have long recognized the necessity of literacy and its centrality to all learning and to the social and economic well-being of Canadians. The vision of education articulated by ministers in 2008 centred on four pillars of lifelong learning:
- early-childhood learning and development
- elementary to high-school systems
- postsecondary education
- adult learning and skills development
Emphasizing the reality that literacy learning extends throughout life — at all ages and in all settings — ministers listed literacy as a key priority and action area for collaboration, in order to achieve the common goal of raising the literacy levels of Canadians.
Literacy was a CMEC priority, even prior to the 2008 Learn Canada 2020 declaration. The 2007 CMEC Literacy Action Plan committed the provinces and territories to working together to increase the literacy levels of all Canadians and to helping Canadians acquire the highest level of literacy skills in the world.
The five-point action plan describes the literacy activities in which CMEC would take a leadership role:
- Policy – Share provinces' and territories' policies to address the literacy challenge
- Evidence – Coordinate provincial and territorial research and national data to ensure effective action on literacy
- Practice – Bring together ideas and initiatives that work from coast to coast
- Engagement – Connect with the literacy community and reach out to all sectors of society
- Awareness – Ensure that Canadians are aware of the importance of literacy and of what their governments are doing to address the issue
To achieve these objectives, CMEC has organized forums, supported literacy education, and been involved in literacy action and events.