Annotated Bibliography : Literacy As Foreign Aid

In fact, there are still some countries struggling to offer education because they are still in development. Countries in Africa, such as Sudan, are primary victims. According to a research paper, “education is one of the main priorities for the people of South Sudan. As recent studies show, many communities in South Sudan view education as the most important peace dividend.” (Barnaba). After the analysis of school enrollment and completion rates in Sudan, results were rather low. Sudan, a third world country, currently is going through the state of being the most illiterate country in the world. It has placed education as its top priority and may will be finding ways to encourage families to send students.This ultimately has been caused through the poverty of the parents and thus requiring help in supporting the health of the family making education a second priority. Due to that reason, the country is still developing. A huge gap separates the developed countries from the developing countries solely based on the education systems. The paper states, “there is also concern raised on lack of attention to education quality and its failure to reach the marginalized as contributing to the learning crisis”(“Fix the Gaps in Our Education System [column]”). There is a weak management of schooling in many third world countries, which is a primary reason to why they have not developed yet. This is the reason for the gap and

More than most would imagine, illiteracy is a phenomenal crisis throughout the world. Today, there are approximately 800 million illiterates in the world. Ninety-three million of those are Americans who have basic or below basic literacy. Thirty million of the 93,000,000 are functionally illiterate. The other 63,000,000 read at a fifth to an eighth grade level and cannot understand a basic newspaper. According to Literacy Partners, a foundation which helps low-income parents with limited English proficiency transfer literacy

     When a child doesn’t seem to be learning, some teachers and parents in his/her life might criticize the child and think of them as stupid, or maybe just too lazy to want to learn. What they don’t realize is that the child might have a learning disability. But how are these children being helped? There are many programs, special schools and facilities, home teaching methods and many other ways in which children with Learning Disabilities are being helped.

Statistically, based on reports from 2003, 99% of the total population ages 15 and over can read and write (CIA Library). Thus, one can conclude illiteracy is not a crisis. However, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Jonathan Kozol, implies something different. Kozol emphasizes the hardship of an illiterate, and briefly explains the importance of helping an illiterate without providing much of a solution, while Kozol’s essay was ineffective overall because of the lack of factual evidence and flawed conclusions, his strategic use of tone, repetition and rhetorical questioning provided some strength to his argument.

Summary: In the essay, The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” written by Jonathan Kozol, and published in Readings for Writers in 2013, Mr. Kozol is raising awareness to the literate society about the danger our people are heading towards with the lack of literacy in our country. Kozol used a few strong points to prove his point. First, the voters of our country; how they cast their vote on the candidate that attracts their eye the most. Secondly, real life situations of how people go about being illiterate. Lastly, personal stories; how it made it a bigger concern in his life.

The lack of knowledge deprives many individuals, from the essence of a better quality of life. “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”, written by Jonathan Kozol, who is an American writer and educator; discusses the negative effects that society has brought upon illiterate people. Unfortunately, the majority of illiterate individuals suffer from poverty, and are raised in households where their parents could not read or write. In this case, they are subjected to grow in an environment that is deficient of educational skills. The terrible outcome of this, is that the cycle of illiteracy continues to pass on from generation to generation.

The importance of literacy is quite big than what you can imagine, without it how can one be self-efficient. Whether you’re a child, adolescent, or an elderly it’s an essential for life duties. Literacy is an everyday component without it will be difficult to do things one requires. One of the main issues is poverty, this is stopping education for young kids or adults. Poverty has stumped the growth of knowledge for the people that have to deal with those daily issues.

Therefore, one might have students with the above disabilities however, discouragement does not have to be their ‘word of the day’. Education is key, for when one learns teaching strategies based on research to add to what they already know then they are encouraged. Become a teacher who never stops learning because student’s need educators who are a step ahead of the

Shockingly, more than 700 million people across the world are illiterate, perceiving literacy as a luxury. Canada’s rate is one of the highest in the world; it is the 97-99%, which is exemplary thanks to the provided education. The two countries, on the other hand, do not have high literacy rates. India currently stands with the largest illiterate population with only 72.23% because thousands are young and poor parents who must raise their families by working for or nurturing them. Likewise, Nicaraguan people also focus on labor and earning money rather than receiving an education.

…limited knowledge and [a limited] availability of intervention programmes which can address barriers to learning arising from disability and developmental delays in a systematic and concentrated manner (RSA DBE, 2014:36).

Illiteracy, it’s a curse for our nation. The inability to read and write is a serious burden. The higher the percentage of illiteracy, the more a society can crumble. An illiterate person is someone who is unable to find a prosperous life; as a result they can become a slave for others which causes them to live through embarrassment and fear. Basic education is essential, if not sufficient, condition for a healthy, democratic, tolerant country. Even though illiteracy could be considered the root cause of many problems including poverty, they find many ways to get through their day to day lives.

Education comes with social benefits as well which can improve the situation of the poor, such as lower fertility and improved health care of children ("Poverty and Education"). "Poor people are often unable to obtain access to an adequate education, and without an adequate education people are often constrained to a life of poverty." - Servaas Van Der Berg. The absolutely poor in developing countries have low education levels. Some may not even have access to primary education or may not have completed their primary education, not realizing that it is important to reduce poverty. Education is often poorly measured, and the impacts do not always show up as statistically significant in cross- country growth regressions (Levine & Renelt, 1992). Africa’s education crisis makes media headlines and analysis by the Brookings Center for Universal Education (CUE) explains why this needs to change. Progress towards universal primary education has come to a halt and learning levels of children who are in school are poor as well. Using a Learning Barometer, CUE estimates that 61 million African children will reach adolescence lacking even the most basic literacy and numeracy skills, this will deprive a whole generation of opportunities to develop and escape poverty ("Poverty, Education, & Opportunity").

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).

Adult illiteracy allows individuals to live a meaningful life. It enhances their living standards and quality of life. Without the necessary literacy skills needed to enjoy the benefits of life one may not live their life to the fullest. “Education helps in improving and enhancing standards of living and quality of life which is actually the improvement of social life. While, illiterates neither get enough chances to lead a better life nor enjoy facilities of a quality life due to their

Throughout the recent years, illiteracy has been a problem that affects human in the society, due to lack of knowledge and development that these people lack. This paper attempts to analyze the efforts of Jonathan Kozol and Michelle Obama who argued the heartrending reality of the illiteracy case along with the lack of development in a so progressive country as is the United States. Also, Kozol’s major emphasis is, firstly the continued segregation in the American societies based on a few baseless factors such as race and sex. Secondly, he attempts to showcase how and to what extent illiteracy in adults can be not just a flaw in the society but to human ethics in general. Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States of America is of the same opinion as to how blacks have been denied educations in America for many centuries. There was a preconceived notion that blacks should not and cannot be educated. Both Obama and Kozol are of the same opinion that there has been an indiscrimination of education on a few factors. When the author speaks of illiteracy, he does not simply speak of the economic concerns but on the moral questions and the ethical dilemmas that are faced by a society unanimously when half of its population is illiterate and thereby inefficient towards daily survival. As a result, Illiteracy has been not just a personal lack but a societal one which brings down the economic, political, social and moral standards of that society. I totally agree with the author because indeed, Illiterate people cannot interact in society, they are isolated because they can't write and read, and because of that, they cannot express well as a society.