No, this isn't a joke about Congress - it's a sad, true story about the miserable level of education of people in the nation's capital.
A story reported by the AP yesterday cited a recent study which showed that about one third (36%) of the adults in Washington are functionally illiterate, compared with a nationwide average of about one fifth (21%). As defined in this study, a functionally illiterate person is unable to do things like fill out job applications, read maps, and understand bus schedules. The study blamed the high functional illiteracy level in part on the growing number of Hispanic and Ethiopian immigrants who aren't proficient in English, and bemoaned the effect of this deficiency on the regional economy because of the lack of qualified applicants for jobs.
This is a disgrace, and it has many causes.
One, as noted in the study, is the high number of immigrants who lack fluency in English. But this isn't the whole story. In years past, immigrants to this country struggled to learn English and to fit into the social fabric of America - my paternal grandparents are good examples, as are many millions of others. Today, however, many immigrants never feel the need to learn English. Federal, state, and local governments and businesses cater to immigrant populations, particularly Hispanics, by providing them forms, publications, and assistance of all kinds in many foreign languages, at great cost to the taxpayers. Schools provide classes in foreign languages, rather than focusing on helping immigrant children learn English. The English language is slowly losing its value as a unifying element for a diverse population.
Another cause of the problem is the dismal state of funding for education. In Washington, DC, many school buildings are in a chronic state of disrepair, with no money made available to keep them in a condition conducive to good education. Meager funding forces dedicated teachers to spend their own money on books and supplies for their classrooms...and teachers in this country are already disgracefully underpaid.
The "feel good" society also contributes to the problem of functional illiteracy. Parents complain about the negative impact on their children's feelings when they are graded down for poor work, and so many students advance to higher grades on the basis of work riddled with mistakes that should have been vigorously corrected. Educational time which could be spent on basic math, science, and reading and writing English, is spent on feel-good classes like obscure foreign langages and cultural awareness that contribute nothing to basic literacy.
I understand the value of knowing a foreign language. I speak German and have an elementary knowledge of Russian. But I am a citizen of the United States of America, and my first language is English. All children, whether immigrants or natives, need to learn English.
A major source of the greatness of America is its rich culture, a wonderful stew with ingredients contributed by immigrants from every nation on earth. But a nation made up of people from hundreds of different lands needs a unifying factor. This is the English language. If we denigrate the importance of English, if we make it easy for new immigrants to simply transfer their own langages and cultures to a new place without encouraging them to fit in, we contribute to a disastrous balkanization of the country.
You have more than likely been stuck in a checkout line behind someone who couldn't figure out how to calculate a payment or write a check. This is the practical impact of functional illiteracy. It must be stamped out, and it's not just the government's problem to do it. Every parent, every teacher, every person has a role to play.
The cost of not fixing the problem of functional illiteracy is just too high - today, tomorrow, and into an uncertain future.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
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