Half of us are barely literate and it's getting worse

The Government claims our school pupils are doing brilliantly - but the facts say otherwise, writes Alasdair Palmer.

The most graphic illustration of the failure of the British education system is the vast number of people who, despite 11 years of full-time schooling, cannot read, write and add up properly. The Government's own figures show that 5.2 million workers in Britain today are "functionally illiterate", and 6.8 million are "functionally innumerate".
"Functional illiteracy" is not the same as the blank inability to read anything – but the bar for competence ... Full Story »

Posted by Dale Penn
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Subjects: Education, World
Topics: Global Literacy
Editorial Help
Posted by: Posted by Dale Penn - Feb 1, 2009 - 11:31 AM PST
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Edited by: Dale Penn - Feb 1, 2009 - 11:31 AM PST

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3.7
by Dale Penn - Feb. 1, 2009

This story is from the UK. I didn't anticipate this piece. From the media reports we receive here, it seems the US is behind other developed countries on the education front. This piece makes me want to dig deeper into the issue of global illiteracy to learn just where the US does stand in the greater scheme of things.

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3.5
by Kristin Gorski - Feb. 1, 2009

The comments to this opinion piece add an interesting, comprehensive dimension to it.

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3.5
by Fabrice Florin - Feb. 1, 2009
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3.0
by Kenneth Sibbett - Feb. 2, 2009

I can't tell who the author is blaming for this problem. The Government, the Teachers, or the students. If the government wants 50%, thats reading at a sixth grade level, That's what they'll get. I don't see why you shoot for a specific number, Away's shoot for 100% and see what you get.

Like it not, not everybody is going to be Bill Gates. You need painter's, plumber's, roofer,s etc,etc,etc,. While I believe hard work will take you ... More »

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