What causes illiteracy in first world nations?

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

[With Teeth]

An inability to read.

[Bombadil]

An inability to read.

Damn you to hell and all that lays beyond.

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

An inability to read.

Funny..what causes that in first world and wealthy nations?

[With Teeth]

An inability to read.

Funny..what causes that in first world and wealthy nations?

An inability to read.

[Marquette of Pacific]

Laziness. Also, everything's handed to them on a pedestal so they don't have to work hard at anything.

[Bombadil]

Laziness. Also, everything's handed to them on a pedestal so they don't have to work hard at anything.

..and Mexicans.

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

Funny..what causes that in first world and wealthy nations?

An inability to read.

Care to expand?

[Gaelic Celtia]

An inability to read.

Funny..what causes that in first world and wealthy nations?

There DOES exist poverty and inaccessibility to proper education in the first world. So, there you go.

[United Marxist Nations]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

First, make a longer OP, and give your opinion.

I'd say that, at least in the United States, it has something to do with lack of funding for education due to the ridiculous maps for school districts in some densely populated areas. And it shouldn't be called "illiteracy", because most actually can read, but more "subliteracy", because it is a lack of proficiency in reading.

[Gaelic Celtia]

Laziness. Also, everything's handed to them on a pedestal so they don't have to work hard at anything.

..and Mexicans.

..and the Gay.

[With Teeth]

An inability to read.

Care to expand?

No.

[God Kefka]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

I think you meant illiteracy in THIRD world nations?

I thought everyone could read in the first world... reading's not hard if you have education right?

[Bombadil]

I would lay the blame on parents initially, I think to rely on schools to teach basic literacy is a risk. Having said that, given wages have effectively remained stagnant for lord knows how long, I think the conditions whereby parents have neither the time nor the inclination to teach their children is where that problem stems from.

The main issue is the second: that there are some in society who do not believe, education or not, that there are any greater opportunities for their children than there were for them. If you do not believe in a future for your child then why bother teaching them to read. I believe wealthier countries without a strong welfare system suffer in terms of social mobility - the idea that 'anyone can make it' is simply not true for a ever-increasing number of people.

[Blasveck]

A lack of access to proper educational resources.

Even in first world nations, poverty, income disparity, and a lack of proper educational resources exist.

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

First, make a longer OP, and give your opinion.

I'd say that, at least in the United States, it has something to do with lack of funding for education due to the ridiculous maps for school districts in some densely populated areas. And it shouldn't be called "illiteracy", because most actually can read, but more "subliteracy", because it is a lack of proficiency in reading.

I believe the term is "functional illiteracy"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/functional+illiterate
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictiona ... illiterate

[Gaelic Celtia]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

I think you meant illiteracy in THIRD world nations?

I thought everyone could read in the first world... reading's not hard if you have education right?

Again, poverty and inaccessibility to proper education DO exist in the first world.

[Skeckoa]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

I think you meant illiteracy in THIRD world nations? I thought everyone could read in the first world... reading's not hard if you have education right?

No, OP is correct. "Functional" Illiteracy is huge problem in the United States and also even in the UK. In worst-case scenarios, cities like Detroit have a functional illiteracy rate of only 47%

[Bombadil]

..and Mexicans.

..and the Gay.

Commie gay Mexicans, there's your problem right there..

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

I wanted to start this thread to discus what causes illiteracy in first world and wealthy nations, both nonfunctional and "functional". What do YOU believe are the causes?

I think you meant illiteracy in THIRD world nations?

I thought everyone could read in the first world... reading's not hard if you have education right?

A USA ABC report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7nCfRDCcT4

[United Marxist Nations]

First, make a longer OP, and give your opinion.

I'd say that, at least in the United States, it has something to do with lack of funding for education due to the ridiculous maps for school districts in some densely populated areas. And it shouldn't be called "illiteracy", because most actually can read, but more "subliteracy", because it is a lack of proficiency in reading.

I believe the term is "functional illiteracy"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/functional+illiterate
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictiona ... illiterate

Thank you; I think that most would know what I mean from my post though.

[The Serbian Empire]

Funny..what causes that in first world and wealthy nations?

There DOES exist poverty and inaccessibility to proper education in the first world. So, there you go.

Most of the "illiterate" are literate, but not at adequate levels to be able to function in society. Many of which probably have some form of learning disability or intellectual impairment and thus it's possible that this form of illiteracy is even harder to combat as they are harder to educate and might have given up on themselves on the ability to read well enough to function.

[Gaelic Celtia]

There DOES exist poverty and inaccessibility to proper education in the first world. So, there you go.

Most of the "illiterate" are literate, but not at adequate levels to be able to function in society. Many of which probably have some form of learning disability or intellectual impairment and thus it's possible that this form of illiteracy is even harder to combat as they are harder to educate and might have given up on themselves on the ability to read well enough to function.

Isn't that functional literacy?

[United Marxist Nations]

I think you meant illiteracy in THIRD world nations? I thought everyone could read in the first world... reading's not hard if you have education right?

No, OP is correct. "Functional" Illiteracy is huge problem in the United States and also even in the UK. In worst-case scenarios, cities like Detroit have a functional illiteracy rate of only 47%

As a high-school student in a rural, ex-industrial area; it's also a problem here. It is painful to listen to many of my fellow students attempt readings of plays that we have to do in class. I'm usually sympathetic, but it gets annoying when the person you're trying to listen to is reading at about 1 word every 5-8 seconds. This is a problem that stems from a combination of lack of education, anti-intellectual sentiment, and poverty.

[The Traditional Catholic Papal States]

There DOES exist poverty and inaccessibility to proper education in the first world. So, there you go.

Most of the "illiterate" are literate, but not at adequate levels to be able to function in society. Many of which probably have some form of learning disability or intellectual impairment and thus it's possible that this form of illiteracy is even harder to combat as they are harder to educate and might have given up on themselves on the ability to read well enough to function.

But in first world nations, we know of that some students need special needs and as far as I know there is special education, and for example if a student has a mild form of autism, and still can't read, can't we say that even though he/she was placed in special education, that their school failed them?