Real0ne
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just for shits n giggles I plugged it into google to see what would come up and what did I find?
this is not the same report I had but it will have to do.
ILLITERACY * The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler IT'S NO WONDER: The U.S. population grew to around 250 million in 1991. But over 10%- 25+ million- cannot read or write at all. Another 45 million are functionally illiterate. That's around 28% that are out to lunch. 44% of the American adults do not read a book in a year. A publishing industry study showed that from April 1990 to March 1991, 6 out of 10 households did not buy a single book. It's no wonder the country is falling further and further behind in skills and competency. The Japanese statement that many of the U.S. workers are lazy and illiterate may be reasonably accurate. While the aspect of being lazy is subjective, a illiterate person working hard probably isn't worth that much anyway. PEOPLE THAT DON'T READ, DON'T KNOW AND WILL NEVER FIND OUT! MADE IN THE U.S: More than 10 million workers in small businesses (about 40%) have trouble doing their jobs because their basic skills in reading, writing and math skills are so low. 23% of manufacturing workers and 11% of management are functionally illiterate. Other estimates put the illiteracy rate at 20% of working adults overall. LITERACY: Bob Green's great article on literacy in Sundays 2/2 /92 SF Chronicle provides some interesting comments about former President Nixon and "serious reading".
`Like Nixon or not, he has written his ninth major book. He accepted as an article of faith, as did the contemporaries of his time, that reading- heavy, at times difficult reading- is the best way to learn about the world. It never occurred to them that they could be leaders and not be diligent readers.
Nixon's belief is that the way Americans (should) absorb information and learn important things is by reading thoughtful books.' In my field, the only way to keep abreast of the everchanging financial field is through intensive research- reading. But most people don't read. That is borne out in a 1992 study by the American Booksellers Association. Not only did they find that "60% of households did not buy a book last year, but that the largest group that did buy were over 65 years of age. It appears that it is only that generation who still believe that reading is a lifelong way to learn. "
"Unfortunately, reading may therefore someday be engaged in by a small minority of people who are regarded as eccentrics by their fellow citizens." Lastly, Green's book stated, "think of him as you will. But add to the poignant things about Nixon's life the fact that he's a man who clings to the belief of reaching his countrymen through considered words on the printed page- in a land where the majority of citizens apparently feel it is a waste of time." DOWNHILL:
Want to see some statistics on why the U.S. is going downhill? From the Wall Street Journal:
Daily TV Viewing SAT scores
1960 5.06 hours 975
1965 5.29 969
1970 5.56 948
1975 6.07 910
1980 6.36 890
1985 7.07 906
1990 6.55 900
1992 7.04 899
Notice a trend in TV versus brains of our children??
ILLITERATE: 1993 A recent study by the Department of Education stated that 90 million Americans possess only rudimentary literacy skills. 47 percent of America adult population perform only the simplest reading skills.
As many as 40 million of the nation's 191 million adults have only the lowest level of skills- meaning they can add the total on a bank slip or identify a piece of specific information in a brief news article.
Another 50 million can calculate a total purchase, determine the difference in price between two items and locate a specific point on a map.
61 million can decipher info from long or dense texts of documents and the remaining 34 to 40 million can complete the most challenging tasks.
But what was not identified in this article- which I have expressed previously- is that the people that can read DON'T.
And that's worse. Outside of good health, the ability AND willingness to read is the most precious commodity that any individual possesses.
Knowledge makes you a viable human being. Otherwise you just exist- and sometimes not that well. "The vast majority of Americans do not know they do not have the skills to earn a living in our increasingly technological society," says U.S. Secretary of Education, (1994) (USNews, June 1989)
There are 25 million Americans who cannot read or write at all. An additional 45 million are functionally illiterate- without the reading or writing skills to find work.
Illiteracy is compounded by the attack on English as the national language, yet civilizations rise and fall by literacy and common language. When common knowledge becomes accessible to all, common values can be defined and pursued. In our post industrial era where most Americans make a living with their minds, not their hands, it is education- more than steel, coal or even capital- that is the key to our economic future. July 1990: Consumers have accepted levels of mediocrity by doing less and less of what can actually help them.
Between 1970 and 1988, adult population grew by 36% but the number of daily newspapers subscriptions increased by only 1%. Are these same people watching the news? No! ABC, NBC and CBS have lost millions of viewers to their evening news broadcasts- and these viewers are NOT going to PBS, CNN, etc. They are NOT doing anything- except watching more and more fluff. Shows like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Cosby, Roseanne outdraw news shows by over 2:1.
ILLITERACY: (Marcia Kaplan, SF Chronicle, 5/95) "Each year over 700,000 graduate from high school unable to read their high school diploma. The US. Department of Education says that 20% of American adults are functionally illiterate. Functional illiterates can read words but they cannot comprehend their meanings, synthesize information or make decision based on what they read. And marginally illiterate people feel most comfortable receiving information in a visual format, relying more on television than print for information.
http://www.efmoody.com/miscellaneous/illiteracy.html
< Message edited by Real0ne -- 4/25/2010 7:07:54 AM >
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RE: Americans are getting serious!! - 
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