by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
In its quarterly bulletin, the Center for Literacy, long recognized as a leader in developing programs for low literate adults, quotes an alarming report from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Twenty-two percent of Philadelphia’s population over 16 is estimated to “lack basic prose literacy skills,” meaning that thousands of city residents can’t read or write well enough to complete a job application.
For Bucks County, approximations were 9% and for Delaware County 10%. In Montgomery and Chester Counties 8% and 7% of adults respectively lack basic literacy skills while the national average is 14%.
The bureau of labor statistics reports that the U.S. has lost 3.5 million jobs since December 2007 and as of January 2009, Philadelphia’s unemployment rate was 6.3%. While thousands of Philadelphians need literacy skills for those jobs and jobs of the future, the current adult basic education system can’t accommodate them.
Whether those adults left school to earn money for their families, didn’t graduate from high school with adequate skills, or are newcomers to our country, the need is greater than ever.
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