Literacy

I

Introduction

Literacy, commonly considered the ability to read and write at a designated level of proficiency. Literacy is more precisely defined as a technical capability to decode or reproduce written or printed signs, symbols, or letters combined into words. Traditionally, literacy has been closely associated with the alphabet and its role in written communication. Literacy has also traditionally been contrasted with oral communication. However, it has become increasingly common to refer to different forms of literacy, such as computer, mathematical, or graphic literacy. Most experts believe that people need a combination of many different forms of literacy to meet the demands of modern life.

Literacy is not an inborn human characteristic, but rather an ability that is learned, most often in schools. No correlation has been found between literacy and intelligence, but literacy and educational level are closely related. Experts have long considered literacy an important contribution to the healthy development of individuals and societies. However, researchers have found it difficult to confirm widespread expectations that literacy alone will lead to an individual’s happiness and well-being, a society’s economic growth, or a government’s practice of democratic principles. Accordingly, current research focuses on literacy’s interactions with culture, economics, and politics, rather than on literacy acting independently of these factors.

II

Basic Literacy and Functional Literacy

In most developed nations, nearly all persons beyond age 17 have basic literacy—that is, some skill in reading and writing. In the United States, for example, approximately 98 percent of the adult population can read and write on at least a minimal level. Many developing nations have much lower levels of basic literacy, however. In these countries, the lack of widespread literacy is considered a serious social problem.

Many countries with high levels of basic literacy have much lower levels of functional literacy. Although definitions vary, functional literacy typically means the ability to read, write, and calculate figures well enough to carry out activities that many people consider necessary to function in society. Such activities include reading newspapers, reading training manuals in the workplace, understanding a highway map, and balancing a checkbook. According to various surveys, from 10 to 50 percent of persons in the United States with basic literacy skills are still labeled functionally illiterate. According to the National Commission on Excellence in Education, an estimated 13 percent of Americans over age 17 are functionally illiterate. The National Institute for Literacy estimates that more than 20 percent of adults in the United States read at or below a fifth-grade level, far below the level required in most workplaces. The rapid rise of new forms of electronic media and advanced technology, such as computers and electronic banking, may put even greater demands on individuals to learn increasingly complex literacy skills.

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III

World Literacy

The lack of widespread basic literacy poses a fundamental challenge for developing nations. Extensive literacy campaigns by international agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other public and private organizations have raised literacy rates worldwide. According to UNESCO, literacy rates increased from about 60 percent of the world’s population in 1970 to 77.4 percent in 1995. However, due to the rapid increase of the world’s overall population, the number of illiterate people has also grown. UNESCO estimates that in 1995 an estimated 885 million adults worldwide did not have basic reading and writing skills. The problem is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia, and the Middle East, areas where literacy rates averaged below 60 percent in 1995. UNESCO has shown that illiteracy accompanies poverty, low life expectancy, political oppression, and underdevelopment. In areas where such conditions occur, literacy rates are even lower among women and ethnic minorities.

Political leaders worldwide have accepted principles to help all people achieve literacy. As a result, educational institutions have dramatically increased literacy campaigns for both adults and children. These campaigns receive widespread public support for reasons that include considerations of literacy as a fundamental human right and as a prerequisite for modern development and democracy. Literacy campaigns have mandated compulsory education for children as the basic method to combat illiteracy in developing nations, but educational programs for adults have also been effective.

The success of programs to promote literacy has varied widely. Some programs, such as those in Cuba, Tanzania, Nicaragua, and China have been highly successful in reducing illiteracy rates. Others have so far accomplished little. Despite widespread support for literacy efforts, large numbers of people in developing countries still have little access to basic education, and literacy rates in these regions remain low.

See also Education, History of; Education in the United States; Reading.

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