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Illiteracy: Meaning, Causes, Effects, Consequences and Solutions

Category: Social Issues in India On October 15, 2016 By Victor

What is the meaning of illiteracy?

Illiteracy is a state whereby one is unable to read and write. In its simplest form, it can be defined as lack of any or sufficient education.

Sometimes people who have had very basic education also experience challenges in reading and writing.

Illiteracy can also mean ignorance or the lack of knowledge in a specific subject. For example, a person may have gone to school but does not know how to operate a computer. Such an individual has no literacy in computer and is known as computer illiterate. Nearly every job advertised requires one to have computer literacy due to the digitization of most processes at the workplace.

A mistake in reading or writing that is seen to be characteristic of an illiterate person is also referred to as illiteracy. For this definition, a speech or letter that has several errors can be said to be full of illiteracies.

Functional illiteracy, on the other hand, is used to describe a situation where a person has writing and reading skills considered inadequate to perform employment duties that demand reading and writing skills that go beyond the basic level.

The challenges of illiteracy cut across: *Gender *Age *Race *Geographical location *Cultures

What are the causes of illiteracy?

There are so many reasons why an individual can be illiterate. These are some of the causes of the inability to read or write:

1. Illiteracy among parents: Many illiterate parents do not put much emphasis on the importance of education. Several of those born to parents who can neither read nor write end up being illiterate. This is especially true in remote areas where many people in the older generation have not gone through formal education. The reverse is true for those who have been brought up by parents with an elaborate educational background. They realize the necessity of taking their children to school and therefore ensure that they receive a good education.

2. Lack of family support: This can be the cause of illiteracy more so where a child has difficulty reading or writing because of dyslexia. In a situation where the family does not understand the child’s condition, it may simply be assumed that he or she is not a bright person and maybe school is not meant for everyone. Supportive family members help a child overcome reading disability and go through formal education with minimal challenges.

3. Unemployment of the educated: Some people believe that the only reason someone should go to school is so that he or she can get a good job and make a good life. Without the promise of employment, education is not a necessity to them. In a country where many of the educated are unemployed, there may not be enough motivation for the illiterate to go to school. After all, they reckon, why would you spend so much money paying for your education when there is no promise of a return on investment? In countries where those who have gone to school have good jobs and reasonable incomes, there may be sufficient motivating factors for people to get rid of illiteracy.

4. Lack of awareness: In places where several members of the local population do not understand why it is important for them to go to school, the level of illiteracy may be high. Disinterest in the benefits of formal learning can also be caused by lack of awareness on the importance of going to school. The number of illiterate people in urban areas tends to be lower than that of those in rural areas. People in towns are more aware of the need to eliminate illiteracy, the challenges that arise from lack of education and the social benefits of being literate compared to those who live in the remote place.

5. Social barriers: Many social barriers such as restrictions on girls’ education in some societies lead to illiteracy among the affected segment of the population. Education of the girl child has been an issue in some parts of the world leading to the formation of different organizations focused on championing the education of women. Forcing children into marriage is another social issue that causes illiteracy in the community. Family or social norms where female education is not allowed also causes illiteracy. In societies where the caste system is still in force, those who fall into the wrong caste may not get the opportunity to go to school. They are condemned at birth to remain illiterate.

6. Lack of affordable education facilities: Those who live in very remote areas with few or no education facilities may remain illiterate. The nearest school might be found several miles away. Instead of going through the tiresome process of walking for long distances on a daily basis just to go to school, many choose to stay at home. Lack of access to education facilities in rural areas has contributed a lot to the high number of illiterate people in these places.

7. Poverty: Poor parents with low incomes find it difficult to pay school fees. They are forced to choose between providing basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing and taking their children to school. In countries where basic education is not free, the number of children who do not go to school tends to be higher compared to places where basic education is free and mandatory.

What are the consequences and effects of illiteracy?

What are the consequences of Illiteracy? How does illiteracy affect the life of an individual and the society? These are some of the effects and consequences of the inability to read and write:

1. Hinders economic and social progress: Illiteracy greatly inhibits the economic and social progress of an individual as well as that of the country. Education gives one the power to seek opportunities and pursue them. People who have gone to school or are well educated have the expertise and intelligence to make good investment decisions and drive the growth agenda of a nation. Illiteracy, therefore, hinders the development of the country.

2. Poverty: Illiteracy leads to poverty. Education equips one with the right skills and expertise for gainful employment. A person who has not gone to school and is unable to read and write may experience a hard time in finding a job especially in a world where the corporate environment is increasingly in demand for employees who are well-trained and can cope with an industry driven by technology. Without a reasonable source of income, taking care of the dependent family members may prove to be difficult.

3. Child marriage: This is also a problem that may come about due to illiteracy. Parents may fail to recognize the benefits of taking children to school to learn how to read and write. Instead, the girl child may be forced into early marriage. It may also be a means of raising money through dowry payments to support the rest of the family members. In a way, the girl child is viewed as a property in some cultures. They can be traded to help the family make ends meet. The practice is especially rampant in areas where a lot of people have not gone to school.

4. Difficult life: An illiterate person can lead a difficult life in so many ways. The inability to find gainful employment can subject one to a life of poverty with poor living conditions. There can be a lack of basic necessities such as good shelter, clothing and decent meals. Illiteracy can also make one a societal misfit more so in areas where many people have gone to school and have the ability to read and write. Such a person can be the center of ridicule and suffer from stress and low self-esteem. Without the ability to read and write, it can be hard to read instructions which in some cases may have dire consequences. They say ignorance is bliss but that is not true when a person’s life is on the line.

5. Social crimes: Through education, a person can cultivate some civic sense and develop behavior patterns that are socially acceptable. Illiterate people may engage in unlawful acts in the society due to lack of employment or simply as a result of being uncultured. In countries where the number of those who have not gone to school is high, social crime levels also tend to be high.

6. Underpayment, Underemployment, Unemployment: We live in a world where the job market favors people who are properly educated with useful skills to drive company growth. Many illiterate people are thus underpaid, underemployed or unemployed. They are unable to earn income and in many cases perform a lot of duties with little pay.

7. Intergenerational Illiteracy: The issue of illiteracy can cut across generations within a family. It can become cyclic in such a way that even the third or fourth generation family members suffer the same fate. Intergenerational Illiteracy mainly comes about because education is given little to no value in the family setup. The children that come along will thus see illiteracy as the norm and not make any effort to learn how to read and write.

What are the possible solutions to stop or control illiteracy?

1. Free education: The provision of free education in schools, colleges, and universities by the government can play a major role in reducing the level of illiteracy in a country by getting more people to school. Since some people fail to attend school due to lack of money to pay for the fees, offering free education can increase the number of people attending school and subsequently reduce illiteracy levels within a society.

2. Awareness: Creating awareness about the importance of education can help people understand why they need to go to school. Non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and other concerned parties should put in place deliberate measures to create awareness in the society and reduce the number of people who are unable to read and write.

3. Grants: Offering grants, subsidies, and scholarships can reduce the financial burden that parents and students bear in paying for education. It would make it possible for students to learn without interrupting their education due to lack of school fees. Parents would also channel the money that would have been used to pay for school fees towards other income generating projects. The cost of financing education can prove to be too high especially for those who live in poverty.

4. Late night classes: Working people can opt for late night classes. In this way, they can learn even as they earn income through their daytime jobs.

5. Free books: The government and different foundations can offer free books in schools to encourage students to develop a reading culture. Offering free books can also reduce the financial burden placed on parents in the provision of textbooks.

6. Digitization: Since we live in the age of technology and information, creating digital platforms for reading and learning can help reduce illiteracy in the society. It can also help take care of the challenge of shortage of education facilities. Digital libraries can provide a good platform for those who live far away from urban centers to expand their knowledge base and become more informed.

7. Lower educational cost: Even though education has its rewards, it is very costly to finance. Many graduates usually leave school with huge debts in the form of student loans. It makes saving and investing difficult. The cost of university education has been a key political and social issue in many nations. By lowering the cost of education, the government can make it easier for people to study up to the highest level possible.

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• May 31, 2022

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret Epidemic of Illiteracy in the United States

America has a literacy problem, and it’s worse than you think.

Amelia Lake | [email protected]

The ability to read is an essential skill for navigating the modern world, yet millions of adults in the United States have such poor literacy skills that they are unable to read basic sentences, fill out a job application form, or understand the instructions on their prescription labels. Without intervention, illiteracy has wide-reaching and devastating consequences, condemning its sufferers to shame, isolation, and poverty. Kirsten Levinsohn, executive director of New Haven Reads, a New Haven-based organization that works to foster children’s literacy skills, explains current legislative and community efforts to address this issue.

Text messages. Emails. News articles. Road signs. There is a good chance that you have encountered one of these things today, and odds are, decoding them from letters, to words, to meaning took about as much effort as breathing. The ability to read is something the majority of us take for granted, and yet it is one of the most fundamental skills needed to navigate and be successful in our modern world. But for all too many people—maybe some you know—it is an insurmountable barrier and a source of deep shame.

The numbers are staggering. As of 2022, ThinkImpact reports that an estimated 79% of American adults are literate. To put it another way, one out of every five American adults are functionally illiterate, meaning that today in the United States, almost 65 million people are unable to read basic sentences, fill out a job application form, or understand the instructions on their prescription labels. This is not merely a crisis of the illiterate, but also of the underliterate: a whopping 54 percent of all American adults read at or below a sixth grade level.

“Literacy is a basic human right,” says Kirsten Levinsohn , executive director of the New Haven-based nonprofit New Haven Reads. “Reading is fundamental. You can’t be successful by any measure if you don’t first learn to read…It’s easy not to think about it, especially if it doesn’t impact you. But it’s a tragedy for every child who doesn’t learn how to read, and it’s a tragedy for the family, the community, and the state as well.”

The root of the problem is in early childhood. All too often, students who perform poorly in school are allowed to fall through the cracks. Without proper access to services that can help a struggling reader or identify an undiagnosed reading disability early on, children who are most in need of intervention are simply passed over. “If you haven’t been taught how to read before third grade,” says Levinsohn, “it’s unlikely that you ever will, because teachers are moving on. You miss the transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’.”

The social and economic toll is nothing short of devastating. Starting in school, illiteracy leads to feelings of inadequacy, shame, and isolation. Students with low levels of literacy are more likely to be chronically absent, suffer behavioral problems, and drop out of school, leading to a cascading chain reaction of negative consequences. Literacy Mid-South estimates that high school dropouts , lacking employment prospects, are almost four times more likely to be arrested and 63 percent more likely to be incarcerated than their peers. The burden is lifelong, with morbid outcomes—illiteracy has strong links to poverty , with some 43 percent of illiterate adults living under the poverty line, and a reduced ability to access health services. According to a study by Nursing , elderly individuals who are illiterate are more likely to die within 6 years than those who can read well enough to understand basic health information.

This suffering is not felt evenly across the board. Illiteracy is strongly generational, meaning that individuals who are illiterate are much more likely to have been raised by illiterate and undereducated parents. “Some people say, ‘Oh, the kids can’t read because the parents don’t care,’ ” says Levinsohn. “First of all, the parents do care. They care a lot—they just don’t have the opportunities that higher-earners have access to.” Indeed, family wealth, along with parental literacy level, is among the strongest predictors of a child’s academic success. According to Regis College , exposure to literature—specifically, being read to and having access to age-appropriate books—is a critical part of fostering a child’s reading skills outside the classroom. Yet more than half of all American families living in poverty (who are disproportionately likely to be people of color, rural, Indigenous, or foreign-born) do not have children’s books in the home. Low-income earners, facing additional financial stress and grueling working hours, have less energy and time to engage in their child’s education. As the saying goes, you don’t know what you don’t know, and this is no less true when it comes to education; illiterate adults often lack the knowledge to recognize when their child is falling behind. The end result is that parents who themselves are illiterate, through no fault of their own, are simply ill-equipped to properly support a child’s academic development.

Says Levinsohn, “what’s happening now in Connecticut is that there are huge gaps in reading attainment, often having to do with disparities in income and race, which reflect the inequities in our society. In New Haven right now, about 30 percent of kids are reading at grade level or better—which, if you say it the other way, means 70 percent aren’t, which is horrendous.”

It is worth noting that these statistics are all pre-pandemic. With school closures interrupting the education of millions of students, the situation has only worsened.

The blame lies partly in curriculum design. “This is not to bash teachers,” says Levinsohn, a former teacher herself. “They went into this field for a reason. They’re all working so hard. But not all of them have been trained in the science of reading, and the science of reading is not universally accepted.”

Levinsohn is referring to the so-called “reading wars” , an ongoing debate over how reading should be taught. This rivalry, which dates back to the 1800s, consists of two opposing schools of thought: whole-language and phonics. Proponents of whole-language theory see learning to read and write English as analogous to learning to speak—“a natural, unconscious process” that is best taught through “unstructured immersion”. Words are taught individually, much like Chinese characters, and children are encouraged to decipher their meaning through context clues. Phonics, on the other hand, sees written language more as a code to be deciphered. This method emphasizes phonemic awareness, meaning that it teaches children to identify the constituent sounds of words to sound them out. Despite overwhelming evidence that the phonics approach leads to better reading outcomes, there is no federal requirement for schools to implement it in their curricula.

For the past 20 years, there has been little change in reading outcomes. As Levinsohn puts it: “Obviously, doing the same thing over and over is not working.”

The “ Right to Read ” Act, passed last June by the Connecticut General Assembly under the sponsorship of Senator Patricia Miller, aims to close some of the gaps. With its $12.8 million budget, the bill makes provisions to ensure school districts can hire reading coaches for students who are falling behind. Furthermore, it establishes a Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, which will oversee the development of reading curricula for students in grades PreK-3. Its focus is, in part, on ensuring that school districts—which previously had complete autonomy in designing their reading curricula—adhere to evidence-based practices of reading instruction. “There is a proven method for literacy instruction,” wrote Miller in an opinion piece for the Stamford Advocate, “and that we need to use it in all of our Connecticut classrooms. Our students are entitled to it.”

Levinsohn is optimistic about the bill’s potential. “It just needs to become a priority,” she says. “There needs to be money and resources at the lowest level so kids are getting the support they need.”

But legislation isn’t the only means of intervention. Community-based organizations like New Haven Reads can and do have a tremendous impact . The nonprofit, initially founded as a book bank, has been a part of the New Haven community for over 20 years and offers a number of programs intended to support literacy development in struggling children. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it sponsored school field trips for grades PreK-5 where students got to pick out five books to take home with them. “Unfortunately, a lot of kids don’t have books at home, or maybe they only have one or two,” Levinsohn explains. “We really try to put out books that would be at their grade level and their interest level. We also try very hard with this program and our tutoring program to have books that are diverse and have characters that represent our child readers.” All in all, New Haven Reads donates over 100,000 books a year , and has donated almost 2 million since its founding.

While the pandemic has forced New Haven Reads to temporarily shutter some of its usual activities, “we are still giving out books,” says Levinsohn. “Frankly, a lot to teachers. A lot of them don’t have books in their classrooms, which is quite sad. And even more sad is that a lot of schools have had to close their libraries for financial reasons, so the kids have less access to books.”

In addition to its book bank, New Haven Reads also offers a one-on-one tutoring program, which trains volunteers and matches them with a student with the intention of creating a long-lasting partnership. The program, which serves about 600 children per week, relies on the support of its roughly 400 volunteer tutors, many of them Yale affiliated—students and faculty alike. “For most of the children who come to us, all they need is a little extra individualized help,” Levinsohn says. “A lot of it is confidence for these kids. They feel that they’re stupid if they can’t read, and it’s so far from the truth. To see them grow and become more confident, it’s amazing.”

Despite the squeeze of the pandemic, New Haven Reads only intends to expand its array of services. In the works is an upcoming program intended to serve recent immigrants through a partnership with Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services . And volunteers are always welcome.

“It’s the community at its best,” says Levinsohn. “It’s people from all walks of life coming together to support our city’s greatest asset—our kids.”

Writer’s reflection:

As a lover of language and a passionate learner, it’s difficult for me to fathom what it must be like to navigate everyday life, never mind education or work, without the ability to read. Yet for millions of Americans—our community members, friends, maybe even our own family—that is their reality. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Kirsten Levinsohn for sharing her knowledge with me, and encourage readers to consider volunteering or donating to New Haven Reads and other organizations doing important work to tackle this issue.

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The Impact of Illiteracy and the Importance of Early Intervention

Nicola Miranda

Around 1 in 5 people are completely illiterate. Additionally, around 3 billion people around the world struggle with basic level reading and writing ( World Literacy Foundation  [WLF], 2018). This has significant economic, social, and health impacts at both an individual and societal level.

Economic Impact

The  World Literacy Foundation  (2018) reported that illiteracy and low levels of literacy have estimated to cost the global economy approximately £800 billion annually. Specifically, in the UK, illiteracy costs their economy around £80 billion in 2018 due to costs associated with welfare, unemployment, and social programs, as well as reduced government tax revenue and productivity. 

Furthermore, as the global economy moves more towards a knowledge economy, literacy is an essential skill for individuals and states to compete in the global economy. When a high proportion of the adult population has poor literacy skills, many positions remain vacant as insufficient individuals are adequately skilled to fulfill those roles. This results in slower GDP growth in the long term (Lal, 2015).

Social Impact

Individuals with low levels of literacy are more likely to experience poorer employment opportunities and outcomes and lower income. As a result, they often face welfare dependency, low self-esteem, and higher levels of crime. Moreover, people with a low level of literacy have limited ability to make important informed decisions in everyday life as they struggle with tasks such as filling out forms and applications, understanding government policies, reading medicine or nutritional labels, and more ( WLF, 2018 ).

Furthermore, parents who are functionally illiterate often prioritize work before education, have lower expectations in regards to schooling, and the children of parents who fail to complete primary school are more likely to follow in their footsteps and do likewise. This leads to a cycle of disadvantage through generations. On the other hand, strong literacy skills among parents will have positive impacts on their children’s lives as they are more able to help and encourage their children in their schoolwork and communicate with their teachers effectively ( WLF, 2018 ).

You can help by donating to the World Literacy Foundation here.

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Health Impact

Berkman et al.  (2004) found that people with low levels of literacy are more likely to experience adverse health outcomes, have poor health literacy, and practice poor health behaviors. For example, people with low levels of health literacy are more likely to experience:

• Higher hospital admission rates
• A lack of engagement with health services such as cancer screening
• A lack of understanding and adherence to medical advice

Moreover, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the great lack of health literacy globally. During this time, many people were challenged in understanding and applying the health information provided by health professionals and the government (Paakkari & Okan, 2020). Adequate health literacy is important in ensuring that people are able to understand and correctly apply health information to prevent disease, and the failure to do so increases the risk for disease transmission.

An Effective Solution: Early Intervention 

Early interventions targeting children in early childhood could be the most effective approach to increasing literacy skills in the long term. According to a  Harvard study  (2007), brain development occurs rapidly in the first few years of life, before formal schooling even begins, where over one million new neural connections are made every second. During these years, sensory pathways for early language skills and higher cognitive functions already begin to develop. 

Developing literacy and language skills before formal schooling sets a child up for success in school and life. Children with a poor foundation in literacy before entering formal schooling are more likely to struggle academically and to drop out of school, increasing their likelihood of facing poorer employment and social outcomes in the future. Moreover, the quality of the environment at home and early childhood services is one of the key factors for literacy development. Hence, early childhood is a critical stage for parents and early childhood services to facilitate learning experiences for children ( Royal Children’s Hospital, 2008 ).

Rather than addressing the issue of poor literacy in adults when it arises, it is better to prevent the problem and its consequences in the first place through early childhood interventions. While investments in early childhood programs are commonly argued to be a burden on state budgets and taxpayers,  Heckman  (2018) found that quality early childhood programs actually have a 13% return rate for investment per annum as a result of improved education, health, social and economic outcomes. With these significant returns, these early childhood programs will pay for themselves eventually over time. Therefore, investments in early childhood education, particularly for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, will lead to short- and long-term social and economic gains.

For instance,  World Literacy Foundation’s  work in Victoria focuses on providing early literacy skills and school preparedness for children aged 0-5 years from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. For example, the organization’s work includes educating new parents to support their children in their learning, providing regular reading groups, and distributing books to young children who may lack access to them.

With the significant economic, social, and health costs low levels of literacy have on individuals, communities, and societies, this is a global issue that needs to be addressed. Investing in early childhood literacy programs will bring back greater returns not only economically, but also returns in health and social outcomes. 

Written by: Amanda Low & Nicola Miranda

• Berkman, N. D., Dewalt, D. A., Pignone, M. P., Sheridan, S. L., Lohr, K. N., Sutton, S. F., … Bonito A. J. (2004). 87 Literacy and Health Outcomes: Summary. In AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries . Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11942/
• Center on the Developing Child (2007). InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development . Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-science-of-ecd/#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20few%20years,brain%20circuits%20become%20more%20efficient
• Heckman. (2018). Social Media Content: Early Investments and Return on Investment for ECE/Childcare. Retrieved from https://heckmanequation.org/resource/social-posts-early-investments-and-return-on-investment-for-ece-childcare/
• Lal, B. S. (2015). The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy Overview. International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 1 (5), 665. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311562787_The_Economic_and_Social_Cost_of_Illiteracy_An_Overview
• Paakkari, L., & Okan, O. (2020). COVID-19: health literacy is an underestimated problem. The Lancet. Public health, 5(5), e249–e250. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30086-4
• Royal Children’s Hospital. Literacy in Early Childhood. Retrieved from https://ww2.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ccch/PB13_Literacy_EarlyChildhood.pdf
• World Literacy Foundation. (n.d.). Australia. Retrieved from https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/australia/
• World Literacy Foundation. (2018). The Economic & Social Costs of Illiteracy . Retrieved from TheEconomicSocialCostofIlliteracy-2.pdf  

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What Causes Illiteracy?

As you know, Literacy New York supports adult literacy initiatives, working with literacy groups throughout New York State. You may wonder though—Why are adults illiterate? What causes illiteracy? Here are some of the most frequent causes of illiteracy in adults:

• Parents with little schooling;
• Lack of books at home and lack of stimulation as to the importance of reading;
• Doing badly at or dropping out of school—many have not completed high school;
• Difficult living conditions, including poverty;
• Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia

Most often, "illiteracy in individuals stems from different, generally inter-related causes which, together, create a series of often insurmountable barriers for those concerned." (Literacy Foundation)

The good news is that illiteracy is a solvable problem, and the partner organizations that we work with can "cure illiteracy". There is hope for everyone, and it begins with the first step—linking up with an adult literacy organization.

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International Literacy Year and the World Conference on Education for All (1990) may be looked back on as the turning point in the struggle for a literate world. Until the present time, the two most common measures by which the progress of literacy is judged diverged from one another: the percentage of illiterate in the adult population constantly declines, from an estimated 38.5% in 1970 to 26.6% in 1990 and a project 21.8% in the year 2000; whereas the absolute number of illiterates, propelled by rapid population growth, steadily increased, growing from an estimated 890 million in 1970 to 950 million in 1985. The estimate for 1990, 948, however reflects -- and this for the first time -- a diminution in the number of illiterates. A further decline to 935 million is projected for the year 2000.

The absolute increase over the past decade has been of the order of 80 million, about the same figure as over the previous two decades taken together. But the tendency has been for the total of those who cannot read or write to grow much more slowly than the total of those who can. The proportion of illiterates in the total adult population has been shrinking gradually, even as their absolute number has increased. Four out of 10 adults were illiterate in the early 1950s; just over 3 out of 10 in 1970; fewer than 3 out of 10 in 1980. About 40% of the world population of 3.1 billion (namely 1.2 billion) were illiterate in 1962. By 1992, the percentage of illiterates had dropped to 25%, but since the world population had increased to 5.5 billion, the absolute number of illiterates had effectively increased to about 1.4 billion.

Illiteracy among younger adults is lower than among the adult population as a whole, the result of the recent expansion in primary schooling. Nevertheless, by 1980, 2 out of 10 young people were reaching the age of majority without having acquired even a rudimentary literacy. Past experience suggests that those who fail to learn the basic skills by the end of normal school age have limited prospects of acquiring them later as adults. They can be expected to form a sizeable, if diminishing, illiterate segment of the working-age population for the next 40 years or more, until at least the year 2020.

[Industrialized countries] Because of a wide difference between way of determining illiteracy the estimates vary greatly. In one estimate having completed primary school is sufficient to be counted as literate. In another filling out an employment form or completing a multiple choice test is required. In 1970 it was estimated that 3.5% of the adults in industrialized countries over 15 years of age were illiterate. A recent study in the UK came to the conclusion that 7 million people are illiterate in the UK. Another estimate gives 13% of the population of the UK as functionally illiterate, with more illiterate primary school leavers in 1970 than in 1964. It is estimated that 1 in 4 Canadians are illiterate or functionally illiterate. Recent statistics on illiteracy in industrialized countries include: one in three Americans will not be able to read this book (Jonathan Kozol on his book "Illiterate America"); 17% of soldiers entering the Israeli army cannot read or write (Israeli state comptroller Yitzhak Tunic).

In 1982 the USA Department of Education estimated that 10% of native English speakers and 48% of those without English as their first language were illiterate, giving an overall average of 13% in the USA. Following major hurricane damage in the USA in 1989, efforts to provide compensation were severely hampered by the inability of applicants for relief to complete written applications or sign them. In the southern USA, 25% of adults left school at 14, rising to over 35% in the case of blacks.

[Developing countries] There is a distinct regional pattern to adult illiteracy in developing countries. The incidence is highest in Africa, where almost 6 out of 10 adults were unable to read or write according to estimates for 1980 (50% of the men and over 80% of the women). In Asia and the Pacific, by far the most populous region, the proportion of illiterate adults is 4 out of 10. This is also the figure for the developing countries as a group. In Latin America only 1 in 5 adults remains illiterate. Over the past decade, the sharpest reduction in the illiteracy ratio has occurred in Africa. With the other two regions showing smaller (though still impressive) declines, regional disparities have become somewhat less pronounced. China's large population and relatively low level of illiteracy exerts a strong downward pull on the regional figure for Asia and the Pacific as well as on the over-all figure for developing countries. Brazil and Nigeria, the most populous countries in their respective regions, exert a less powerful influence in the opposite direction on the illiteracy ratio of their regions. The regional pattern for overall illiteracy coincides broadly with illiteracy across the income range. Latin America, the region with the highest average per capita income, has the lowest illiteracy ratio; Africa, with the lowest relative income, has the highest illiteracy. As just noted, within regions and among countries in similar economic circumstances, variations remain important. These tend to have deep cultural or historical roots and have diminished only slowly as efforts to raise the level of literacy in countries lagging in this respect continue to be checked by a limited ability to increase the number of those receiving instruction in reading and writing.

2. For the nearly 1,000 million women and men, the illiterate adults of the world, the right to education proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not, as yet, a reality. Illiteracy is not only an obstacle to effective participation in society; in much of the developing world, where mass illiteracy is rife, it constitutes a threat to the progress of society itself with all that entails in suffering, deprivation and missed opportunities.

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The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems pp 1–20 Cite as

Adult Illiteracy: A Global Social Problem

• Shiv Prakash Katiyar 7  
• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 27 November 2021

Adult illiteracy is a global social problem even today despite number of diligent efforts by different governments, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and other international organizations. The problem is not only restricted to developing nations but also prevalent in developed countries. Illiteracy in the USA is approximately 1% but 60% of the adults in American jails and 85% of minors in juvenile custody are functionally illiterate.

Illiteracy is the most important factor which inhibits the socioeconomic development of society. At the individual level, illiteracy blocks the overall development by preventing from imparting the ability that education provides to their children and more significantly causes lack self-esteem in the individual which leads them to isolation from the mainstream society. At the societal level, they face challenges in functioning effectively in the knowledge-driven world, in community involvement and civic participation.

The present chapter is an attempt to analyze the pattern of illiteracy across the globe. The study is based on secondary data, sourced from the UNESCO and other international organizations for statistical analysis of illiteracy at regional and gender level. The data analysis reveals patterns, nature of illiteracy, and significant factors responsible for prevalence of illiteracy. The study aims to address the issue of illiteracy at a global level.

• Development and UNESCO

One is never too old to learn. — Thomas Middleton

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National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, India

Shiv Prakash Katiyar

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School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Rajendra Baikady

Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland

Jaroslaw Przeperski

Department of Social Work, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa

Varoshini Nadesan

Inst of Social Welfare & Res, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Islam Rezaul

Sch of Philosophy & Social Development, Shandong University, Central Campus, Jinan, China

Jianguo Gao

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Katiyar, S.P. (2022). Adult Illiteracy: A Global Social Problem. In: Baikady, R., Sajid, S., Przeperski, J., Nadesan, V., Rezaul, I., Gao, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_160-1

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_160-1

Received : 06 September 2021

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Published : 27 November 2021

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-68127-2

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Home / Essay Samples / Education / Illiteracy / Illiteracy in Pakistan: Causes and Solutions

Illiteracy in Pakistan: Causes and Solutions

• Category: Education , World , Life
• Topic: Illiteracy , Pakistan , Problems

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Introduction

Illiteracy in pakistan.

• Parents with little schooling;
• Lack of books, stationary and other staff
• Lack importance of reading and writing
• Showing bad performance in studies and then dropping out of school — many have not completed high school;
• Difficult living conditions
• Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dysorthographia, etc.

Problems caused by illiteracy

Illiteracy rates, recommendations, conclusions.

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