NLA Discussion: Advocates' talk

[JENNIE OLEARY]

GEORGE E. DEMETRION <gdemetrion at juno.com> 03/29 10:30 PM writes:

<<"adult literacy education is an extremely marginal issue in the body 
politic and civic consciousness of the USA
functional "illiteracy" may very well be "functional" from the
structural perspective of maintaining the status quo--or at least it 
doesn't impair it significantly>>

Doesn't the second point explain the first point? In an earlier post to 
this list, Jack Fenimore stated:

"According to Nation's Business, fifteen million members of this 
country's work force are functionally illiterate. They can't read or 
understand warning signs, labels, maintenance books, shipping instructions,
or memos. This costs American businesses an estimated 20 billion dollars 
annually due to mistakes, lost pro- ductivity, workplace accidents, and 
damage to equipment."

If this is true why isn't there more pressure from the business community
to improve literacy?  Is it that what they gain (i.e., paying lower 
salaries) from employing people with lower education levels offsets the 
costs?  What would happen to the "status quo" if the workforce becomes 
better educated?  As it is, what incentive do people have to improve their 
education level when they can get a job without a degree?  I have a 16 
year old nephew who is not concerned that he may not graduate from high 
school because of poor grades.  Although he has a learning disability, 
he's good with computers and he figures he can get a job working with 
computers.  He is probably right.

Mr. Fenimore also stated: "For decades there have been countless efforts
to reduce illiteracy.  But the problem continues."   What's not working?
What can we do to change things that we haven't already tried?

JENNIE OLEARY 
<JOLEARY at adc.state.az.us>