Study Finds One-Third in D.C. Illiterate

[OverMyHead]

WASHINGTON (AP) - About one-third of the people living in the national's capital are functionally illiterate, compared with about one-fifth nationally, according to a report on the District of Columbia.

Adults are considered functionally illiterate if they have trouble doing such things as comprehending bus schedules, reading maps and filling out job applications.

The study by the State Education Agency, a quasi-governmental office created by the U.S. Department of Education to distribute federal funds for literacy services, was ordered by Mayor Anthony A. Williams in 2003 as part of his four-year, $4 million adult literacy initiative.

The growing number of Hispanic and Ethiopian immigrants who aren't proficient in English contributed to the city's high functional illiteracy level, which translated to 170,000 people, said Connie Spinner, director of the State Education Agency. The report says the district's functional illiteracy rate is 36 percent and the nation's 21 percent.
Adults age 65 and older had the lowest literacy score of any group, the report found.
The District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, which contributed to the report, said the city lost up to $107 million in taxes annually between 2000 and 2005 because of a lack of qualified job applicants.

Illiterate in English, not other language. Why we are forced to learn English, I don't understand. You call that democracy?

 

[jaguarr]

The sad part is that this study was limited to Congressional members.

jag

 

[Mayor_McCheese]

We need more studies that cost millions of dollars to tell me crap that I already know and could care less about

 

[Fried Gold]

We need more studies that cost millions of dollars to tell me crap that I already know and could care less about

Obviously the money isn't doing any good.

 

[Darthphere]

I tried to read the article but I'm from DC, is it about Batman?

 

[Ben Urich]

We need more studies that cost millions of dollars to tell me crap that I already know and could care less about

Care less. The dismissive "I couldn't care less" is often used with the shortened "not" mistakenly (and mysteriously) omitted. The error destroys the meaning of the sentence and is careless indeed.

 

[Mayor_McCheese]

I stand corrected.. Must be too much time on this board

 

[Motown Marvel]

Illiterate in English, not other language. Why we are forced to learn English, I don't understand. You call that democracy?

i dont think anyone is being forced into anything. no one is demanding immigrants who are english illiterate to learn it. though, it does stand to reason that if you plan on living in a country, you're gonna have to communicate efficiently, which means you should learn the language.

 

[Motown Marvel]

Illiterate in English, not other language. Why we are forced to learn English, I don't understand. You call that democracy?

i dont think anyone is being forced into anything. no one is demanding immigrants who are english illiterate to learn it. though, it does stand to reason that if you plan on living in a country, you're gonna have to communicate efficiently, which means you should learn the language.