The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
( f f i ILLITERACY—FACT AND FICTION H ardly a day passes without a newspaper i editorial, a magazine article, or a radio speaker presenting some comment on the extent o f the problem o f illiteracy in our country. In nearly every instance, a mathematical figure o f con siderable size is presented to substantiate the claim. Notwithstanding all o f these comments one finds, upon careful exploration o f the mat ter, that very little is known about the actual size o f this problem. The reason fo r this con dition will be found in the varieties o f ways by which the problem is approached and studied. The "W orld Almanac” defines an illiterate as any person ten years of age or over who cannot write in any language. According to the 1930 census, there aro 1.5 per cent of native whites who can be so classi fied. I f the criterion of literacy is considered to be fourth-grade education, then the percentage of illiterates is much higher. Indeed, it has been reported that, according to the latter criterion, one person in seven (13.5 per cent) o f our male population over 25 years is functionally illit erate. jg: l :■ O ctober 23, 1943 SCHOOL AND SOCIETY ' ! j 331 It is sometimes assumed that educational ex quired for making a desirable social adjustment. perience beyond four years is necessary for Because o f these and other facts, there is need literacy; persons possessing less than five years for careful investigation concerning the nature o f formal schooling are considered to be in and extent o f illiteracy in this country. Obvi capable o f carrying on the functions or demands ously, if one community accepts a reading and o f a normal life which makes substantial use o f writing ability at the fourth-grade grammarbasic literacy skills. These persons are there school level as a criterion o f literacy and an fore referred to as “ functionally illiterate.” other is willing to accept the ability to write The problem o f literacy is, however, quite one’s name as a standard, uniformity can hardly complex. Let us consider those males whose be expected when quotas are estimated. More formal education is four years or less. These over, even when an arbitrary basis is selected people are concentrated, o f course, in those such as the completion o f a fourth-grade educa communities where dense populations are found. tion, the actual relationship o f this attainment New York with its great population leads the to literacy is anything but clear, since there is list; sparsely populated states contribute many still a wide variance in educational standards fewer illiterates. Yet we should consider these throughout’ the country. The completion o f four additional facts. Several states with relatively years o f formal schooling in one part o f the small total populations contribute greatly to the country results in academic attainment very diftotal number o f illiterates. In Louisiana, * ferent from that which results from four years Georgia, and South Carolina over 30 per cent in another section. o f men above 25 years o f age completed less From all available statistics, we may assume than 5 years o f school work. * * that functional illiteracy probably is present in On the other hand, certain states are notably from 10-15 per cent of the general population low in “ functional illiteracy.” Thus, in New o f adults. But what do such statistics meant York, only 12 per cent, and in Illinois only 10 : Does this mean that something like ten million per cent of males over 25 can be so classified men and women cannot read or write sufficiently in . terms of a four-year-education . criterion.. well to meet their own needs and the needs of Similarly, functional illiteracy in Iowa is rep- their communities? Are we justified in assumresented by four per cent only. ing that the remaining 120 millions are all Now these considerations are o f utmost sig- literate; that they can read and write sufficiently nificance. In one community, a rather marked well to carry on as effective citizens in their degree o f academic attainment is necessary i f daily lifet one is to be considered literate while in another The answer to all these questions will probvery meager attainments aro thought o f as char- ably be, “ I don’t know.” As a result we are left acteristics of both the literate and the illiterate, completely at a loss as to the nature and magThe problem o f literacy is further compli- nitude o f the problem. What is worse, we are cated by the fact that certain racial groups con- left with little knowledge as to what goal we tribute a disproportionately high per cent o f should strive for in planning the future. , .v1 ... - ' l j "1 : • '■< “ functional illiterates.” Thus, over 40 per cent What, then, is the action to be taken to over-j £ . . o f Negroes would be so classified while only a come this situation ? The following suggestions little over seven per cent o f native whites can seem justifiable: be considered functionally illiterate. Again, one First, it is desirable to set up adequate criteria need not search long fo r the cause o f this con o f literacy based upon functional requirements dition. Negroes in certain parts o f America rather than upon arbitrary levels o f academic are decidedly underprivileged in educational op attainment or schooling. Thus, it would be well portunity. It is patently unfair to use the term to inquire: What degree of knowledge and skill illiterate to refer to large numbers o f persons is necessary in reading, writing, and arithmetic who, although they may possess good ability, in order that a man may make a desirable social have been denied the educational opportunity and economic adjustment in a typical American to become literate. Moreover, in certain com- community? What aro these social and ecomunities, minimum literacy skills only are re- nomic demands for oral and written expression ----- *mlL 332 SCHOOL AND SOCIETY and fo r arithmetic in the typical American com munity? It is impossible to answer these ques tions at the present time. But answers to them should be sought through careful research. What levels o f attainment are necessary so that, after school attendance has been discon tinued, a man will still be able to use success fully the skills that he has acquired at school? Must the average person have experienced six or even eight years o f schooling in order to be able to satisfy minimum literacy requirements fo r an effective life pattern? Moreover, it might be desirable to inquire further: What is the level o f academic attainment commensurate with in telligent participation in, and enjoyment of, life in a democratic social order? Answers to these questions should be sought in an effort to pro vide a functionally effective and socially useful definition o f literacy. It is fitting to point out that the literacy cri terion should be based not only upon the ability to perform the mechanics o f reading and writ ing, but more particularly upon the ability to comprehend and utilize language. Thus, lan guage facility is also an important considera tion to be studied in devising literacy standards. Since a relationship should exist between functional literacy and the academic instruction offered in the public schools an increased in terest should be shown in establishing more nearly uniform instruction during the first four grades throughout the country. Attainment should be expressed in a highly functionalized form so that the attainment, fo r example, o f fourth-grade proficiency in the basic subjects would actually be a meaningful concept from the standpoint o f literacy. Not only is a criterion o f literacy needed, but - v' )there is also a great need to improve the con dition o f vast numbers o f illiterates who are not in the Army. Moreover, a program o f edu cation should be so closely articulated with a functional criterion o f literacy that public edu cation will prevent the development o f illiteracy. It is estimated that there are many function ally illiterate men who are not in the U. S. A. Certainly, there is a great need fo r a corrective or rehabilitory program fo r this group. Func tionally effective programs should be organized. Suitable texts and other teaching aids should be utilized for these groups. V ol. 58, No. 1504 There is a great need fo r instructional mate rials at the adult level that are primarily adapted to the adult point o f view. The use o f children’s textbooks fo r the instruction o f adults has been highly unsuccessful while properly constructed material based upon adult life problems within the experience o f the student usually is highly successful. Full utilization o f visual-education techniques should be made. Above all, attention should be paid to securing results speedily so that the individual can rapidly apply his gains in language to the process o f living in his com munity. One cannot afford to overlook the fact that training o f the illiterate must, o f necessity, be conducted (a) on a voluntary basis, (b ) after a normal day’s work, and (c ) under the adverse conditions o f evening classes that are not infre quently crowded, poorly lighted, and badly ven tilated. As a result, increased effort to stimulate interest and strong motivation is necessary. The individual must be made to realize that six or eight weeks o f work will yield him a recogniz able return if the program is to be truly suc cessful. The educator, on the other hand, must realize that education without a goal that has meaning fo r the individual is merely an ideal— and perhaps not a very desirable one at that. Improved teacher-training programs fo r in structors in adult elementary subjects are needed. Existing courses in elementary educa tion, while theoretically valuable, are pragmati cally open to serious criticism in that they fail to emphasize the necessity for developing in genuity in the teacher. Nowhere in the entire field o f education is it so important that the teacher be capable o f great flexibility in utiliz ing teaching methods and in understanding the problems o f the learner. Training in the tech niques o f visual education, in applied psycholog ical procedures fo r meaning and intepreting the students’ abilities, and in building programs o f instruction fo r individual training is highly im portant if the instructor is to be really effective. M orton A. S eidenfeld L ieutenant Colonel, A.G.D. / CREED OF A PROSPECTIVE TEACHER T h e future o f education looks brighter when we find prospective teachers writing voluntarily o f their beliefs and hopes, as in the statement
@FedFRASER