Every fifth British adult is illiterate: Report
March 29th, 2012 - 8:45 pm ICT by IANSLondon, March 29 (IANS) One in every five adults in Britain is functionally illiterate, or has insufficient reading and writing skills for ordinary practical needs, a report has revealed.
It means up to eight million people are so poor at reading and writing that they struggle in their daily lives. In a devastating condemnation of the British education system, they have difficulty reading a medicine label or simply using a chequebook, the Sun reported.
The findings by the World Literacy Foundation are contained in a report which focused on the world’s wealthiest nations. Its chief executive Andrew Kay described the findings as “shocking” for Britain.
Britain with 21.8 percent has been ranked third-worst in reading and writing behind Italy (47 percent) and Ireland (22.6 percent), he said. “No matter whether you live in the developed or developing world, poor literacy is ruining lives.”
The US was found fourth-worst with 20 percent in “functionally illiterate” adults category.
British pupils have slipped from the world’s seventh best in reading to 25th, according to a separate study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- One in six adults' literacy lower than that of an 11-year-old - Mar 30, 2010
- Frankfurt Book Fair launches training campaigns in India - Aug 27, 2011
- Literacy enhances dignity and peace: Ban Ki-moon - Sep 09, 2011
- China to reduce number of illiterates by 10 mn - May 26, 2011
- Traditional art of letter writing 'dying out' among kids - May 21, 2010
- Sakshar Bharat Mission launched to curb illiteracy - Sep 08, 2009
- Google better at advising teachers than Scotland's curriculum body - Nov 06, 2010
- Government to set up 10 community colleges for skill development - Sep 06, 2012
- Increasing illiteracy in China becomes world's concern - Mar 02, 2011
- Adult education programme can benefit from literacy drive - Nov 29, 2010
- Poor literacy major problem for Indian youths, says report - Apr 19, 2012
- British kids will get failed teachers - Dec 17, 2011
- 'British kids don't find reading interesting' - Sep 08, 2012
- Total literacy for women in five years, promises PM (Lead) - Sep 08, 2009
- 'Legally literate' Chandigarh students to help needy - May 25, 2011
Tags: british adult, british education system, chequebook, chief executive, condemnation, illiterate adults, ireland, italy, kay, literacy foundation, london march, medicine, poor literacy, pupils, sun, wealthiest nations, world literacy, writing skills