Illiteracy in Developed Nations

Despite the fact that illiteracy issues are most thought of in relation to poorer developing nations, illiteracy is a critical issue in a number of nations categorized as developed. It is hard to imagine eliminating global illiteracy when even the nations with the highest levels of literacy show significant challenges in total literacy. According to a report done by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OCED), one in four adults in 20 surveyed developed countries failed to reach “minimum levels of literacy for coping with everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society”. In this survey, Sweden and other Nordic countries were found to have the highest levels of literacy while Poland, Chile, Portugal, and Slovenia scored the lowest. In addition, there are significant gaps between those individuals with the highest and lowest scoring literacy levels.
The cause of such problems of illiteracy is not related to only one single cause. In Hong Kong, it was determined that teachers were relying too much on textbooks to teach reading, with few practical applications to promote comprehension. In addition, most parents relied entirely on the school system to teach their children to read and spend little to no time with their children on this skill at home. Another factor that affects low literacy levels in many developed nations is the relatively recent emergence of high literacy standards in comparison to the age of the population. Older generations of adults may have been educated in a time period of lower education standards. Furthermore, the OCED suggests four factors that contribute to a decline in literacy skills after one completes formal education. These factors include the type of work one takes, the use of literacy skills in the workplace, participation in formal adult education and training, and the use of literacy skills at home. From the information presented it becomes apparent that the initiation of changes in the education system and a commitment to maintaining literacy skills past the formal education setting are at the root of tackling the issues concerning illiteracy in developed nations.
While the individuals with below average literacy levels in developed nations are themselves at a disadvantage, the society as a whole also suffers as a result of the widespread illiteracy. In all nations surveyed literacy levels were found to have a positive correlation with standards of living and income levels. Those individuals who showed the highest levels of literacy were more prone to holding white-collar jobs and being active in the workplace and less likely to struggle with unemployment. While education is generally considered the most important factor in obtaining a successful career, literacy was found to be among the most important specific areas of education vital to success. On a national level, the OECD study found the most literate individuals to be the healthiest, have the highest life expectancy, and positively contribute to the community through activism and volunteerism. Due to widespread literary skills, a nation’s individuals are more likely to positively contribute to the betterment of the nation as a whole.
All nations have a literacy problem, regardless of economic and political standing and need to take action to combat this critical situation. Developed nations are in no way immune to this basic issue of citizens effectively communicating with one another. The causes of lacking literacy vary, but could realistically be addressed and solutions could be found. At the root of literacy improvement is the individual’s desire to obtain highly functional literacy with the assistance of national programs and initiatives. The overall well-being of the nation is driven by educated, literate individuals. As the governments of economically and politically work to improve the literacy of their citizens, these nations can more effectively lead the world in the quest to universally eliminate illiteracy.