Thinking back over the applications and resumes I've had dropped off at my store, I am not surprised. Not only are they misspelled or grammatically flawed, they are messy. Very few take the time to actually read the questions let alone answer in full sentences. I've had several instances where people have walked in and asked about employment, seemed really great and I would be interested in interviewing formally, never return with the application form.
42% of Canadians can't read (DC Talk)
by burnedout 27 Replies latest jw experiences
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AGuest
It's here in the U.S., too, big time (may you all have peace!). I had to deal with it in my housing career for over 20 years; many (most) applicants haven't a CLUE what the application, lease, or other docs say. When I realized this, I started doing mass orientations so as to go over everything on an overhead projector (there's a real reason why most of these folks LIVE in the projects - excluding the elderly and disabled: they are illiterate and so can't GET meaningful jobs. I digress.).
Anyway, I've been away from that industry for a couple years but the reality came roaring back at me in the grocery store 2 weeks ago. I was at the chinese/hot food/deli counter waiting my turn (they make pretty good "Vegetable Delight"!) and was starting to get a bit impatient because the young-ish lady in front of me was taking so long. So I turned my attention to what was going on. She was having difficulty getting the clerk to understand her order... and I immediately saw why: she was trying to place her order by the price (functional illiterates usual know numbers, some brilliantly so). Which was confusing the clerk... because the "$6.49 entree" included a choice of several things. The lady couldn't read what those things were, though, and couldn't really tell the clerk what she wanted. And HE... spoke [very] broken English (he was Chinese!).
Thankfully, the two eventually worked it out... by pointing and gesturing!!
But I felt HORRIBLE for her... because I know that it's almost like going through the world blind; maybe worse, in some ways, because you can't always properly communicate what you want/need... and there is a LOT of fear... and guilt... and so stress. And the thing about medicines and labels... oh my gosh. That hazards associated with that.
It was a national "dilemma" for the U.S. some 10-15 years ago, but so many other crises have cropped up that it's back down through the cracks, now. Too bad.
If you're bored, need something to "do", and have some time on your hands... volunteer at an adult literacy program. Whether you're in the U.S. or Canada. Or read books to children at the library or elementary school. You won't regret it!
Again, peace to you all!
A slave of Christ,
SA
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shamus100
Canadians SUCK! They club seals, eat blubber, and stick berries in their noses.
Frankly, I"m all for an American invasion.
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talesin
In a UN index that ranks quality of life, Canada and Sweden are tied in 5th place.
But in one vital area — literacy — the Swedes have beat us cold. Those surveys that Scott Murray invented that measure functional illiteracy have Canada with its 14.6 per cent rate trailing Sweden at 7.5 per cent, first place in the world.
The article seems to be confused... is it 42% ,,, or 14.6%?
t
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shamus100
Talesin,
Give me you're house. I'm moving in, ya illiterate homosapien! Dirty Canadian!!!!
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Broken Promises
Talesin,
42% are semi-literate, while 14.6% are functionally illiterate.
Whatever the heck that all means.
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OnTheWayOut
- An additional 27 per cent can't figure out simple information like the warnings on a hazardous materials sheet, the kinds of warning that set out workplace dangers such as risks to the eyes and skin.
I doubt that means these folks are "semi-illiterate" or functionally illiterate or can't read. Have you all seen a Hazardous Materials Sheet? It probably means that 27 percent gave up in some survey or test on locating important information on such a complicated sheet of paper loaded with information that makes it difficult to pinpoint the warnings.
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talesin
BP - eggs-actly!
OTWO --- Yes, that's what I was thinking, but didn't want to say anything and get jumped on. I'm definitely literate (DOH), but have trouble figuring out those bloody WHMIS warning labels myself. That's why they give you courses on how to read them when you go to work somewhere that has hazardous materials.
tal
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sammielee24
According to Nationmaster, Canada, the USA and most other countries are up there at 99% literacy rates. This reminds me of politics - it isn't what you say but what you aren't saying or putting into context. Then again, the WTS tends to use a couple of articles to write their magazines and the flock believe it...what a shame because it extends far past literacy and impacts their lives in every way.
The literacy tests are made up of 3 parts- does it make you totally illiterate if you can't understand all 3? sammies
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= 27 Switzerland: 99 % 2003 = 27 Germany: 99 % 2003 = 27 Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 99 % 1982 = 27 Monaco: 99 % 2003 = 27 United Kingdom: 99 % 2003 = 27 Belgium: 99 % 2003 = 27 United States: 99 % 2003 = 27 New Zealand: 99 % 2003 = 27 Canada: 99 % 2003 = 27 Sweden: 99 % 2003 = 27 Australia: 99 % 2003 = 27 France: 99 % 2003
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According to the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS), adult literacy can be described on a scale of 1 to 5, and has three components – prose literacy, document literacy, and quantitative literacy.
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Anony Mous
I would pose that even less Americans can't read if that's the definition you're using. It's reading with an understanding of the material that is a problem. Most of it people are just too lazy or too dumb (as in lacking basic education like math, literacy, psychology, biology, chemistry and logical thinking, not basic reading skills) to understand the meaning behind the words.
Basically, if you can't figure out how your VCR works you should get some additional schooling.
The problem is that the quality of American schooling is going down. It's not funding as most school districts have double the funding than what they had a decade ago even accounting for inflation and really need to be trimmed down. Just like government, it's easy to expand your budget but shrinking it seems to cost you the sacrifice of virgin blood for each dollar.
The biggest problem in most districts is qualified teachers and teacher unions preventing the sacking of unqualified teachers. In our school district there are several school buildings that are not being used due to a lack of students but they have to remain open because of the unions' of teachers and maintenance staff that still work there. The school district got smart last year and moved some of the least qualified teachers to those schools but still those are multi-million dollar investments in teachers, cleaning staff, IT staff, maintenance staff, heat, air conditioning and other utilities.
You are required to get extended education and have students self-motivated these days simply because basic education is severely lacking. Even the first two years of US college's math and science is what is thought in the last year of European high schools.
