Effects of Illiteracy on the Society

Illiteracy basically refers to the inability of a person to read and write. Recent studies show that there is indeed an increasing rate of illiteracy all over the world. A study conducted by World Statistics Institute (WSI) shows that more than 27% of people from all over the globe are illiterate (Fauzi, 2009). WSI also reports that 32% is the speed at which the illiteracy rate ascends. These rates are beneficial information because it has terrible effects on our society.

The most important effect of illiteracy on the society is that it acts as an inhibitor. It suppresses the growth of a society. This means that the more illiterate people there are in a country, the harder it will be for the country to develop (Fauzi, 2009). The world does not require adults to only be able to read and understand basic texts but also be able to function in the workplace (n.a., 2011). This means that a person should be able to pay bills, understand legal and financial documents and use or navigate the products of technology (n.a., 2011). These functions of an individual refer to the two types of literacy: functional and cultural. Functional literacy means that a person should be able to sign one’s name on important documents or papers while cultural literacy, on the other hand, refers to the ability of a person to adapt to the behavior of the educated populace (Mc Arthur, 1998).

The society is affected by the inabilities of its people. In this instance, the inability of the people in a society to read and write affects the supposedly “better performance” in the workplace. As the rate of illiteracy grows, the harder it is for a society to adapt to advanced technology and therefore makes them undeveloped. One of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations member states is to achieve universal primary education. The member states aim to let all children complete a full course of primary education by 2015. Since the first step of learning in school is to know how to read and write, it is necessary to complete primary education, at the very least, to prevent the further growth of illiteracy rate among individuals ages 15-24. The primary education would be the foundation for them to work in an institution that requires the ability to read and write. According to the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD), low-income countries consist of 61% of adults who are literate while high-income countries have 99% literate adults (n.a., 2011). The over 30% discrepancy between these two countries has a great impact on the development of these societies. These rates clearly show how literacy and illiteracy either help the country move forward or suppress its development respectively. These are some of the effects of illiteracy on the society:

1. Unemployment- People who are able to read and write would be more functional in a workplace. This gives those who are illiterate a smaller chance of getting a job.
2. Increased crime and incarceration – Individuals who aren’t able to read and write struggle to function in a society. So, they end up worsening their lives by committing crimes and increase the burden on state prisons (n.a., 2011).
3. High social and economic costs- High incarceration would also lead to the increase on the burden on economic support systems.

Sources:

Muhammad Zulhilmibin Fauzi. (2009, October 24). Effects of Illiteracy on Society. Retrieved from http://muhdzul90.blogspot.com/2009/10/effects-of-illiteracy-on-society.html

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2009). National adult literacy rates (15+), youth literacy rates (15-24) and elderly literacy rates (65+) [Data file]. Retrieved from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=210&IF_Language=eng

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

Mc Arthur, T. (1998). Illiteracy. Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/illiteracy.aspx