Sonal Madala, Week 10: The Power of Literacy
Being able to read this blog is a privilege. California has the lowest literacy rate in the country, with 23% of adults having little to no reading proficiency.
Literacy, at its core, is the ability to read and write. It is the gateway to education, employment, healthcare, and civic engagement.
Graph from Statista
According to UNESCO, an estimated 773 million adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills, with two-thirds of them being women. In some developing countries, the literacy rate hovers below 50%, limiting access to opportunities and perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Literacy is intrinsically tied to economic development. In developed nations, a literate workforce is often taken for granted, contributing to economic productivity and innovation. According to the World Literacy Foundation, illiteracy costs a developed nation 2% of its GDP, an emerging economy 1.2% of GDP, and a developing country 0.5% of GDP.
Additionally, literate individuals are better equipped to access and understand healthcare information, make informed decisions about their well-being, and engage in more preventative measures. Illiteracy, on the other hand, is associated with higher rates of health issues, reduced life expectancy, and limited access to essential medical services.
For example, Sudan has an extremely high rate of illiteracy due to more than half of its children not going to school. Ultimately, the effects of these are seen in high rates of illness and poverty, making them less likely to seek medical attention until they are in critical condition. In 2021, more than 6 million citizens of South Sudan needed humanitarian assistance, according to the World Bank. Furthermore, according to UNICEF, children born to educated mothers have a 50% high chance of survival. In Sudan, less than 1% of women are able to receive an education.
In first-world countries, the ability to read and write is ingrained from an early age. Libraries, schools, and an abundance of written resources surround people, fostering a culture of literacy. However, it is important to recognize this privilege and consider the millions worldwide who cannot share it.
Hello Sonal. To be quite honest, I was completely shocked by the statistic that California has nearly a quarter of the state unable to read and write. I feel like I always assume that we are a pretty good state that prioritizes education and equal opportunity so to have such high illiteracy rates is quite scary. Especially when considering how important being able to read and write is. Outside of speech, reading and writing are the primary forms of communication and considering that we are moving into a more digitized world, the ability to read text and interpret information is becoming more essential. I wonder what demographic that fourth consists of and if that is tied to other social issues like crime and poverty because getting a job while being illiterate should be much more difficult. I also think it is quite sad that people who are illiterate are not able to indulge in hobbies like reading and writing which I especially love. It is such a big part of my life and I cannot imagine not being able to do so. The feeling aligns with the hook of your blog in that being able to read and write really is an unsung privilege.
ReplyDeleteHello Sonal, this was an eye-opening article, and I appreciate you writing about our low-literacy rates as it shows just how our education system, despite being almost 200 years old (as California was established in 1850), has so much left to work on. One would assume, that considering how wealthy the state is in terms of GDP and having hotspots such as Silicon Valley and pharmaceutical companies in the East, that it would be putting not only money but also quite a bit of effort into its education system. However, the statistics you linked in your post show that we could not be further from the truth. But despite this, one must still consider how highly ranked the United States is compared to other countries. Before reading your post, I had not known how despite having education, children in third world countries only had a 50% chance at survival. It makes me wonder if education is then related to politics, as places such as Sudan often deal with strife from political issues and constant leadership coups. This seems to be a reasonable hypothesis, especially considering the turmoil in our country today, with liberals and conservatives arguing on what could be taught in schools or not. As the graph shows, our literacy rate has begun to plateau, and if these issues continue, does this mean we could be headed for a downturn in literacy for Americans?
ReplyDeleteSonal, literacy truly is a privilege. I think a lot of people our age take this privilege for granted. Being able to read and write and understand English truly is a blessing. A lot of people in this country do not share this privilege and this causes a distinct language barrier that ultimately limits the communication and collaboration possible. This is present even in my own household through my parents who immigrated here from Burma. My mom understands the bare minimum of English and seeing her struggle and needing my help made me realize how I took it for granted. Especially having been able to go to school here and learn. Overall, your blog highlights an overlooked aspect of life that most people do not truly appreciate.
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