A person just does not decide to be illiterate. Factors that contribute to not learning to read vary. Have those factors been looked into? What can be changed so that youths will not become illiterate adults? Solving the problem of adult illiteracy may help with other societal problems.
Addressing the problems is significant because the society is moving forward. Adult learners need to be able to survive financially in this society. If they are not able to get the support they need to gain the skills in order to complete school, they will not be successful. It will be a cycle that will continue.
Personal Thoughts on Illiteracy.
This topic is important because with the economy, you have to have the skills in order to get the job. People may have been getting by without learning how to read, but some of the skills that are needed, especially with computers; a person will have to know how to read. I am an avid reader, so it is painful to see that that are so many are missing out on opportunities that knowing how to read can bring.
Life can be struggle. It can be more of a struggle when you can't read the things needed to survive. When education reform is talked about, rarely are illiteracy rates discussed. Programs need revamping in order to tackle this problem. Congress has put together initiatives that will provide funding for literacy programs. Many of these initiatives are stuck in committees waiting to be voted on. It actually needs to start from an early age. Adolescent literacy is the foundation of education reform. Literacy at a higher level is needed to be ready for college readiness and the global economy (Cassidy,). .
Literacy, regardless of age, needs to be looked at as a serious issue. It is a vicious cycle that needs to be stopped. Before anything can be changed to help with adult learners, making sure that their comprehension level and problem solving skills are at the appropriate level is priority number one.