I just went searching for the official data on literacy rates in the United States over the last century. I was curious to see if it was fluctuating, wondering if it might be declining due to immigration or perhaps lowering educational standards. While I did find a statistic that showed more than half of United States residents had only a basic, at most, reading level (which they compared with the typical fourth grader), there were NO official stats on literacy in the United States.
None.
Apparently, our government just doesn't keep records on that kind of thing. Bizarre, right? I'm not a regular in this particular .win, I know, but it seemed the appropriate place to post this finding. What's up with the literacy rate? Why is functional literacy so low? Are we getting dumber as a country? Is the government trying to cover that fact up, and that's why they won't release statistics? And if so, is there direct evidence to suggest what the cause might be?
If that were true--that a higher percentage can read and write, you'd expect they'd want to tout that statistic. But I'm hearing about schools now letting people graduate without even that foundational skill.
Most countries, esp. in Europe, don't even have high school graduation, you just leave at a certain age. You have to use actual certification to demonstrate English & Math skills.
So I think this move in the US is just a cost reduction to get children out of education at the state's expense.
Those who leave school without English & Math certificates who need them later in life, will have to pay for them personally.
In the UK a person leaving High School at 16 needs to be in Education or a Job with Training.
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-choices-at-16
Although it doesn't specify then penalty for failing to do so.