Functional Illiteracy

Functional illiteracy means a person can only read and write in basic forms; their abilities aren’t at the level required in the workplace or for societal activities.

In contrast, a functionally literate person as defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is one who can “engage in all those activities in which literacy is required for effective functioning of his group and community and also for enabling him to continue to use reading, writing and calculation for his own and the community’s development”.1

Sometimes, functionally illiterate people have had adequate schooling, but they don’t comprehend language or have elementary-level reading skills necessary for effective communication. It is important to note that these inabilities are not necessarily due to cognitive, sensory, neurological or mental disorders.

In developing countries, this functional illiteracy is often due to limited schooling. In many cases, children are called upon to work at an early age or gather water from a source far from home. This limits the consistency of education or, in some cases, completely prevents it.

The level of illiteracy that is required to qualify as functionally illiterate varies between cultures. For example, a woman in rural Asia may be able to go through her daily life with fewer reading skills than a person living in an urban setting or a culture values technology. However, in a general sense, functionally illiterate people are often unable to operate a computer, fill out a job application, or complete tax forms or other paperwork.

How is functional illiteracy determined?

It is different in every culture, but the National Center for Education Statistics uses the following parameters:2
  • Prose Literacy
    • Someone who is functionally literate can understand and use information and instructions presented in written text.
  • Document Literacy
    • A functionally literate person can fill out forms such as job applications, tax forms, medical forms, and so on.
  • Quantitative Literacy
    • A functionally literate person can do simple addition, figure out how much to tip and calculate other simple math problems.
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