Why is literacy my problem? 

 

Low literacy increases one's likelihood of turning to crime (70% of inmates nationwide are functionally illiterate), be dependent on tax-funded programs (75% of Food Stamp recipients are functionally illiterate) and live in poverty (43% of functionally illiterate adults live in poverty). Low literacy impacts our taxes, health care costs, safety of our neighborhoods and types of jobs which will be available locally for our children and grandchildren. It would stand to reason that if you are concerned about other social issues, you should take an interest in literacy. It is the source of many other problems and the foundation for a solution. (National Institute For Literacy, 1998) 
 

 

Why is literacy an issue in our community? 

 

There are too many variables and too many individuals with different circumstances and experiences to point to any one source. It is often a combination of reasons. All we can say for certain is that this is obviously a community-wide issue, and therefore requires a community-wide solution. Researchers have proven that all parts of a community working together to provide skills, opportunities and recognition really does make a difference.- Community That Cares model. 

 

 

Why should businesses take a role in this issue when they certainly aren't the cause? 

 

Illiteracy is often no more the fault of the company than a nail in a tire. If you want to say, "It's not my fault," and drive on, you won't get where youwant to go very effectively. The best remedy is to pull over and deal with the problem so that you can move forward. Just like in this "nail in the tire" analogy, illiteracy will keep employers from effectively getting where they want to go. Illiteracy costs employers daily through low productivity, workplace accidents and absenteeism, poor product quality and lost management and supervisory time. The best thing to do is stop and deal with it. Much like investing in equipment capital, this is an investment in human capital. 

 

The retired CEO of Swift Textiles in south Georgia visited Newton County in 2002. He described how his company had to invest in new equipment in order to be competitive in the market. Then much to his surprise, most of his employees were undereducated and unable to operate the equipment. They couldn't even read the manuals. He established a workplace literacy program which tripled the money he budgeted. Ten years later he said, "It was the best money we ever spent." 

 

 

Is 25% really undereducated? It's hard to imagine that 1 in every 4 adults I see doesn't have a high school education. 

 

Yes. According to the 2000 US Census, 1 in 4 adults has not completed a high school education. Due to the difficulty of gathering census data, this may be an underestimation. If it is hard for some of us to imagine, that is understandable. These adults are likely to have a lower income level and therefore may not frequent the same restaurants, groceries and clothing stores. 

 

 

Shouldn't people take care of their own needs? 

 

Certainly this attitude is widely held and with good reason. The question we must ask is this: Has everyone been equipped with the same tools to be independent? This is especially true when we wonder why parents are not reading to their children in order to better prepare them for school, when research tells us reading is one of the best things a parent can do. Unfortunately, a parent who is undereducated likely does not want the embarrassment of not being able to read a story book to their child...not to mention helping with homework. Hence, there are few books in the home. Both the parent and the child lack the tools to function. Of course this cycle of disadvantage perpetuates itself daily. At some point a community effort is required to break that cycle of illiteracy and create a cycle of LITERACY.