Illiteracy, Article Writing Example

Many of the ills of modern society may be traced to the failure of the culture to sufficiently educate its citizens. One article highlights social trends associated with illiteracy. Some of the details are shared here.

The authors begin by defining what illiteracy means. It is different for every age group Education-Portal.com. (2011. For example, the four year old who cat “read” certain words from a picture book is considered literate; whereas, an adult who can read at the most basic level is considered illiterate. Next, the authors go on to describe global literacy. They report that in the wealthiest nations nearly all of the adult population is literate; whereas, in the poorest countries only about two-thirds of the adult population is literate. The situation in the US is dichotomous. Only one country is before us in the rate of highest levels of literacy on standardized tests, but nearly ¼ of our population scores at the bottom.

Furthermore, there poverty, unemployment, and crime are highly correlated with illiteracy in American society (Education-Portal.com, 2011). Those that score at the lowest levels work significantly less and make hundreds of dollars per week less than highest scorers. They are about four times more likely to receive food assistance from the government and up to ten times more likely to live below the poverty line. About a third of inmates score in the lowest levels of literacy. Inmates are half as likely as the general population to be among the highest scorers.

Still, there is hope. Volunteerism and non-government programs can help curd the trends of literacy that threaten our society (Education-Portal.com, 2011). It seems for many of our social ills, education is the answer.

Reference

Education-Portal.com. (2011). Illiteracy: The Downfall of American Society. Education-Portal.com. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles/Illiteracy_The_Downfall_of_American_Society.html