Illiteracy In The U.S.A. : Who's Problem Is It?

In April 2013, a study conducted by the Department of Education and The National Institute of Literacy showed that 32 million adults in the U.S. can't read. This number makes up approximately 14 percent of the population. On top of that, the study showed 21 percent of adults reading at below a fifth grade level, and a staggering 19 percent are High School graduates. What's even worse is these numbers have not changed in over ten years. In this day and age, with all the information and tools at our disposal, these statistics are unacceptable. With these tools at our disposal, people not learning to read as children should be a thing of the past. http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-american-adults-who-cant-read/

So where did we go wrong? Who's to blame for this? It depends who you ask. If you ask the Government, they'll tell you it's a funding problem, and blame it on the Educators. If you ask the Educators, they'll tell you it's a funding problem, and blame it on the Government. If you ask parents, they will blame them both. There is plenty of finger pointing going on regarding this incredibly delicate issue, yet no results.

So who is to blame? Most people may not like the answer, and it may be a bold statement, but the answer is...We all are. We as a society are just as responsible for the education (or lack thereof), of our children as the Government or the Educational system. The problems with Education, and Government are transparent. We know that funding is low; we know that schools are inundated with focusing on things like Federal test scores to receive funding. These are problems that are not going away anytime soon. We as a people need to pool together, and come up with creative ideas to attack this problem, and it starts in our communities, and at home. We can't let another ten years go by without dealing with this issue and expect to still be competitive in the world at large.

What is the solution? There isn't one fix solution to this widespread epidemic. We as a society need to come up with various ways to attack this problem locally. All of the information we need is available. We know what parts of our communities need the most help. We know what schools are performing lower than others. This is all public information. We need to use this valuable information to target the most in need, and set up programs in our communities to get these children and adults the help they deserve. Volunteer literacy programs, book drives, as well as volunteer tutoring programs are just a few ideas that we can do locally. Fraternal organizations, Church Groups, as well as many non-profit entities have the ways and means to make this a reality.

It's obvious this problem is bigger than all of us. We have let this problem go far too long. Reading and writing are inalienable rights; not privileges. It is time for us as a society to perform due diligence on this issue if we want to keep our Country strong. Many of the children that have "fallen through the cracks" might have been great assets. It's up to us to make sure a larger percentage of the next generation have that chance.