Show j 1 1 1 1 11 t 1 1 1 iii fit Nt Seems To Me Meny MeBy Ity ny Joseph li It n. Roberts Functional illiterates COPYRIGHT 1977 Contemporary Features Syndicate Inc Recent studies conducted by bythe bythe bythe the US U.S. Office Orrice of Education estimate there are at least 21 million adults living in the United States today who are functional illiterates The term functional illiterates means people who cannot carmot read or write well enough to function effectively effectively ef ef- ef in our society The number is How one might ask have 21 million grown people managed to avoid learning how to read and write in a country where schooling is compulsory The answer is simply that while schooling may be compulsory teaching children to read and write is not All that the law requires is that children be in school until they reach a certain age usually until they are old enough to have finished high school if they pass each year There is no law that requires children to learn or teachers to teach them There should be such a law It should specify that every child who is teachable must pass a ana na national reading and writing test each year he is in school or orbe orbe orbe be held back until he does docs and every teacher charged with teaching reading and writing skills must prepare a high percentage of students well enough to pass the examination each year or seek some some other occupation Before someone accuses me of being unfair to teachers and students I would like to ask what is fair to the taxpayers Who is getting robbed by teachers who cant can't or wont won't teach and students who cant can't or w wont won't nt learn Consider what public education is costing us today and then figure what it is costing us to support 21 million illiterate consumers who contribute minimally if at all to the national economy Is it not an outrageous ro S u a L commentary upon our educational system that we can provide our children with twelve or more years of the most expensive schooling in the world and yet not teach millions of them to read and write well enough to enable them to cope with the ordinary demands of day to living I do not mean turning out scholars just literate people who can earn their keep and pay their dues Functional illiterates are sev severely rely handicapped handicapped han han- in our competitive society They cannot read help- help wanted ads in the newspaper fill out an application form follow Collow written instructions nor interpret a traffic ticket They are even limited in their participation par in religious services for they cannot respond by rr reading ding prayers or the words to hymns and certainly the Bible is 15 beyond their comprehension What is most disturbing about the situation is that most of the functional illiterates are teachable Had they been sufficiently motivated to learn and had some teachers taken the time and trouble to teach them they could have been fairly literate by the time they finished their years of compulsory compulsory com com- schooling Fortunately it is not too late for them to learn Trained tutors have been able to improve improve im im- im prove the reading skills of people even in their late and when the motivation to learn has been strong The problem is many adults are so ashamed of their illiteracy they refuse to admit it and therefore will not seek help The American Library Association has recognized the failure of our educational system and stepped into the breach with a reading program of its own for functional illiterates It has provided its members with a detailed manual on how to teach adults to read and classes will be held in public libraries across the country In some of the metropolitan areas tutors from the Literacy Volunteers of America are working in conjunction with the program Lets Let's hope the good efforts of these people will vill undo I at least in part the damage done don by our inept educators |