Financial Repercussions of Low Adult Literacy in the 21st Century

It is well known among the educational community that low literacy is an “everyone, everywhere” problem. However, what is not so well known are the financial repercussions of that problem. The World Literacy Foundation recently published their final report on the economic and social costs of low literacy. While the report is a snapshot of problems in a global context, it provides us with a glimpse of the frightening consequences of our collective failure to address this problem, particularly in the areas of poverty and health.

Is it possible to assess the financial cost? Yes – to the staggering total of more than $1 trillion a year, globally. But this number blinds us to the real heartbreak – that there are far too many fellow human beings who cannot climb out of poverty because they cannot read.

The goal of this presentation is not to solve the problem – solutions are far too complicated in this particular context and forum. And while the potential exists for the data to simply overwhelm us so that we may believe it is too difficult to find solutions – we can learn. We can learn more about the details; the consequences of low literacy that lead to poverty, unemployment, and poor health. Then, when we know more, we can help to educate others; and hopefully, build momentum so that those who bear the financial responsibility for educational funding become more aware that past decisions may be nothing more than a band-aid on a wound that refuses to heal.