Let’s Fix It: Illiteracy Is a Global Problem with Local Solutions

In this series of posts, Influencers explain what they wish they could fix — and how. Read all the stories here and write your own (please include the hashtag #FixIt in the body of your post).

For over a year now, I've had the good fortune to sit on the board of the Washington Literacy Center, which helps adults in the District of Columbia learn to read. Spend enough time around this extraordinary organization, and you will hear many stories—stories of heartbreak, frustration, even desperation. In equal measure, you will hear tales of accomplishment, triumph, and redemption.

My day job is public company auditing, but when I think about the one thing I'd fix, I hear the echoes of those stories. So illiteracy is the problem I'd take on, and my dream solution would involve us all.

The Challenge of Illiteracy

The challenge of illiteracy looms large. Analysis from the U.S. Department of Education estimated that in 2003, 14.5 percent of U.S. adults lacked "Basic Prose Literacy Skills," down slightly from a depressingly similar 14.7 percent in 1992. In Washington, DC alone, an estimated 90,000 adults are functionally illiterate. This group of adults could, at best, only find easily identifiable words or numbers in a short text. Reading and comprehending a blog post like this would be out of the question for them. Reading most employment applications, medical forms, and financial records—even restaurant menus—would also be out of reach.

The implications of illiteracy at this scale reach far and wide—economics, crime, health, social justice. As noted by Thomas Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in January: "Millions who do graduate [from high school] have not even learned to properly read, write, or count—and tragically, that can be a prescription for permanent inequality." Consider also the global dimension of illiteracy. By one tally, one in four young people in developing economies are illiterate.

If the statistics and the implications of the challenge are daunting, so too is the difficulty of fixing this problem. Moreover, the issue "is not getting the attention it urgently deserves," says John Veihmeyer, U.S. Chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP, and an outspoken leader on the issue of literacy.

Still, as Veihmeyer and KPMG have made clear in words and action, that doesn't mean we can't do something.

Ideas for Action

The sprawling challenge of illiteracy requires a sizable response. I'm no expert in education policy, but here are a few ideas on attacking illiteracy that make sense to me.

Prioritize early childhood. While we can't ignore the needs of adults, it seems to me we should devote significant resources to end illiteracy where it begins: early childhood. Indeed, one of the biggest motivators for the adult students served by the Washington Literacy Center is gaining the ability to read to their children.

Raise the number, and standing, of teachers. The Guardian recently ran an interesting item on literacy from a global perspective. In it, development experts provided their points of view on solutions, including a strong focus on well-qualified teachers. Raising the standing of teachers was a suggestion that resonated with me. We need to make sure teaching is an attractive career option for our best and brightest.

Books! "The biggest single obstacle to literacy for children in need is a lack of access to books," says KPMG’s Veihmeyer. Hence his firm launched its Family for Literacy program, under which thousands of KPMG employees donate, collect, and distribute books. We need more efforts like this.

Get everyone on board: "Teachers, parents, school districts, businesses, community leaders, and institutions of higher education must all get directly and personally involved," says Donohue of the U.S. Chamber. Donohue was speaking to education and training generally, but I think his words apply to the question of illiteracy as well. We all have a part to play, even if it's as simple as donating a book, or donating time or money to a literacy center.

Do you have thoughts on what should be done to do to end illiteracy? Share then in the comments, along with any other thoughts on this topic.

Photo: creative commons licensed flickr photo by via spykster