Thus, it is no more a news that illiteracy in the world has grown rapidly in the last twenty years or more, because of the collapse of public schools caused by politicians who are responsible to its degeneration. According to Kozol, he said in America the growth of illiteracy (as at mid-80s) was high as more than 60 million Americans which cut across adult and teenagers can't read and write. In present time, it has tripled.
The widespread of illiteracy has become a contagious disease all over the globe. People are getting worry that government should begin to do something about it. In fact, it is now an issue in the nerve of perspective. That if nothing is done towards eradicating illiteracy. Government not adequately funding public education, will triple the consequences further. In most European and backward countries like in Nigeria is a total annihilation of public schools.
Lack of proper funding of public schools had defecated ugly incident. Although, some government agencies, Non-governmental Organizations, corporate bodies etc pretending to be humanitarian whereas are faces of neo-liberal agenda, have embarked on programs calling on the government to implement policies that will eradicate illiteracy totally. Fundamentally, this is just a fraction of the total annihilation the educational sector is undergoing specifically in Nigeria. For example, the recent budget for education is a living fact.
Going by the existing reality that shattered the mess in public education in Nigeria. The various humanitarian programs are just cube of an ice in addition with the huge Grant collected from the United Nations, an organization who are also partly responsible to the growing tension in most countries suffering economic breakdown. Emphatically, it doesn't excerpt the fact that the growing rate of world illiteracy is not also unconnected to the contradiction of government bad policies.
Millions of people across the world who can't read and write suffer the same fate as others in many underdeveloped countries. A lot of these adults don't have direct access to formal education. And while getting old it's becomes a big challenge for them to even remember writing or spelling their name. People mostly affected are the poor who hardly can afford a better living. Already most government policitians have ruled out anything that has to do with funding public education.
Monday September 18, 2017 New Telegraph published an alarming report. It's states that "63 million youths and adults have been estimated to be at different illiteracy levels". The reports further emphasize that "worldwide, 750 million adults today still lack even the most basic literacy skills". This is a clue of the exact predicament in the educational sector in Nigeria. In fact, it is a direct accusations to government inadequacy in funding massively public education undermining the standard of UNESCO (26% for developing countries).
Going by the very reality choking us in neo-liberal backward countries like Nigeria. The contradiction is very sharp before our eyes. It is a known fact that millions of people both youths and adults can't read and write. This is a shortfall caused by the various regimes in Nigeria not to massively invest in the sector in order to eradicate the rise of illiteracy. Instead, the so-called government have prefer to use public money to execute project for private investors in the name of investment, which is contrary to the needs of people living below poverty line.
Shamefully, in Nigeria, in every ten adults, seven don't have the skill to be able to read and write very well. Millions of these adults are between the age bracket of 25 to 35. Currently, it has now encroaches into the age group of 45 and above, who also are suffering the same inability to adequately spell, pronounce, identify and even differentiate words from each other due to the rise of illiteracy and the annihilation of public education by pro-rich capitalist regimes both military and the so-called civilian.
In fact, this is disheartening but the truth most be told. The challenge of reading for many adults who falls in this age bracket is cut-heart. As mentioned earlier, majority of these adults find it difficult to spell any sound they heard or even remember it when they have come acrossed it before. Some will even make an attempt but will spell wrongly. Others are worst. Like a man I met three years ago who said he was sixty five of age but can't read and identify either yes from no. This is not new. Perhaps, it is shocking. This is a confirmation that a lot of adults who don't have access to formal education were disenfrachised because of the run-to-death policy of capital first before peoples need.
The Jakande government in the second Republic between 1979 to 83 in Lagos State, was a living example of what the State should be doing with public resources to improve the living condition of the poor, not what we have currently from politicians representing the big fishes who have have directly shifted from its responsibility in tackling the issue of poverty. In tackling generally the "contagious disease" of illiteracy, this will amount government adequately funding public education, erect new classrooms and well equipped facilities with standard laboratory for the students to embark on research whenever they want to.
Also, for government to employ teachers with proper provision of welfare and better living wage that periodically can be increase. Emphatically, the question of teachers going for retraining to keep them equipped and professional in their field to better deliver in this sector is not also out of it. This is going to be a huge step if public money is well plan to execute the need of people. In spite of this, it is not also left out for government to erect standard modern public community libraries. Well equipped with assorted books to encourage reading skill so people can be able to develop to their own cognitive skills.
Putting these facilities in place in poor communities where a lot of people live. People who are unable to acquire all the necessary formal education. The usefulness of community public libraries will help to improve the skills of people to better know how to read and write, spell, pronounce, identify words and qualitatively differentiate them conveniently in order to build their thinking capacity. Avoiding to pay close attention to this. It will further worsen the situation. In fact, it shall render millions of people helpless and useless to defend themselves when the need arises.
The decandence in public schools raises a Fundamental question of how better to tackle the rapid growth of illiteracy in the world. The fear of this subsequently won't be the 750 million or more in the world, of people who don't have formal skill of reading and writing. Subsequently, as present reality demonstrate. It will be triple being the global economy is inside the glove of capitalism. As Jonathan Kozol expresses that "A people that cannot read at all is undefended". This raises an alternative that can adequately use public resources to annihilate illiteracy with policy that support equality and better life for all.
By
Fidel Davy
SlumPhotos
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