this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2024
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It is even worse:
https://blogs.fasos.maastrichtuniversity.nl/EUS2516/lowliteracyineurope/
So they are not just not reading any books, they literally can't read books.
I could not find info on how they get to 20-25% functionally illiterate. That seems way too high. 17% for Germany. Do you know how they define illiterate?
It can vary depending on the context, but essentially it just means that you can only read/write at a fairly basic level.
For instance, imagine someone who reads at a 4th grade reading level. They can get through basic aspects of life, but get totally lost/overwhelmed if they are presented with anything more complex. For instance, they wouldn't be able to comprehend most official letters. (Thus is especially an issue in Germany since Amtsdeutsch seemingly tries to be intentionally complex....)
They are effectively locked out of most modern jobs, because they can't parse emails effectively or formulate a fitting reply.
It's also something that people are generally very self-conscious about and get pretty good at hiding.
Interesting, thanks for clearing that up. Wouldn't have thought that this is so common but then again I'm living in a bubble where I mostly know well educated people.
"Functionally Illiterate" doesn't mean that those people can't read or write. But it does mean that they don't understand what the words even mean.
Or in other words. Just because you know how to do something doesn't mean that you understand how it works. Lots of people drive cars or use computers but many of them have no real understanding on how they actually work.