Some very, very, depressing American literacy statistics.

[JanMichael]

http://www.main.nc.us/literacy/statistics.html

This is exactly what Conservatives want. A subdued population that has trouble reading a bus schedule, nutritional labels, or figuring out that their insurance/pension/employer is ripping them off.

Here's what they don't want: "It is estimated that adult reading scores improve approximately one grade level with 35-45 hours of tutoring."
--Literacy Volunteers of America


EDIT! Almost forgot the best part...What's another document that might frusterate some poor soul into giving up? A ballot card, or touch screen, that's what.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Ed Zachery

The Pubs desire a lolo Nation, better to fool them into Control.

TO FOOL IS TO RULE.

[Cleita]

2. I wouldn't care except that my tax money has funded the lack of

education many Americans are receiving. Now they want to take what little money the broken down public school system gets and give it to private schools.

[leyton]

3. Interesting.

Some of these are a stretch...

"The average kindergarten student has seen more than 5,000 hours of television, having spent more time in front of the TV than it takes to earn a bachelors's degree."

Um... it takes four years to earn a bachelor's degree, last time I checked. Kindergarteners are five years old. Is this really saying that the average baby spends four fifths of his waking time in front of the television? I doubt that.

"44% of all American adults do not read one book in the course of a year."

Well, to make matters worse, 100% of all current Presidents don't read one newspaper in the course of a year.

[lapislzi]

4. um, I think they mean in actual hours spent

like the "official" hours spent in your coursework.

I didn't do the math; I don't know how many actual days 5,000 hours adds up to.

[DrWeird]

5. 208.3

And then there's mathematic illiteracy...

[leyton]

7. Yeah, but you don't get a bachelor's by just showing up for class.

I was under the impression there was homework, papers, research, projects, studying involved. But if there isn't, well, I am certainly looking forward to college.

[Bozita]

11. Legacies do

[Systematic Chaos]

6. How is this a stretch?

If the average 5-year-old has seen 5,000 hours of television, that would work out to 1,000 hours a year or less than 3 hours a day, every single day of their lives. That sounds at least in the ball park, if not a bit of an understatement since those kids don't have to attend school and many parents love to let the Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, etc. do the babysitting.

To earn a 4-year college degree would require about 15 hours of class attendance a week, roughly 40 weeks out of the year. That comes out to 600x4 or roughly 2,400 hours. Time spent doing homework and research aren't counted, apparently. But still, if you spent the same amount of time working outside of class as inside you would not hit 5,000 hours.

As for the 44% not reading a book in the course of a year, not only do I believe it but I bet that in certain low-intellect areas of the country like where I'm stuck right now it's closer to 60%.

[strategery blunder]

13. At my university, instructors expect students

to spend one hour studying/learning outside of class for each hour spent in class.

You're about right:D

[JanMichael]

9. Oh then I suppose everything is just peachy!

Baby meet bathwater?

[leyton]

15. I didn't say it was peachy...

I said some of these might be a stretch. Way to misconstrue what I said.

[JanMichael]

16. I suppose that I did read more into it than I should've.

It seemed like a nitpick assault on a serious problem so I assumed that you were playing "Hurt argument by pointing out small insignificant points." for what reason didn't know.

My bad.

"Some of these are a stretch..."

I didn't think so.

"The average kindergarten student has seen more than 5,000 hours of television, having spent more time in front of the TV than it takes to earn a bachelors's degree."

That's 208 days for the kid. A full time student takes 15 credit hours a semester/ three days a week (or two with the longer classes), the BA is usually 120 hours, which is 8 semesters. Each credit hour is usually three hours of class time per week/per semester for sixteen weeks.

1,920 hours of classroom time for a BA or 80 days.

I spent about an hour/hour ratio outside of class (Or 160 days), some take three, some take four, either way the comparison was not for the variables but the classroom time v. kid TV time. I thought that was a more than reasonable comparison. Once again my mistake.

"Well, to make matters worse, 100% of all current Presidents don't read one newspaper in the course of a year.

I honestly missed that one...I blame the vodka and OJ...

[jsw_81]

8. The scientific literacy stats are even worse

Tens of millions of Americans are fervent believers in astrology, creationism, tarot card reading, ghosts, channeling and all kinds of other nonsense; less than a quarter of the population understands or supports the theory of evolution. This will only get worse if Bush is re-elected.

[porkrind]

17. Ding Ding !

You win! This is a critical point. Most of the populace is so far below their potential, they don't realize how superstitious and stupid these supernatural beliefs are.

A fundamentalist ignoramus in the White House isn't going to help. We're doomed.

:dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce:
:dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce:

[Skittles]

10. I have tutored in literacy programs

what amazed me is people who have managed for YEARS to keep the fact that they can't read from their friends, employers, sometimes FAMILY - many of them thought they were too stupid to learn to read. A light would go off in their heads when I would point out the incredible amount of sheer intelligence it took to be able to HIDE the fact that they could not read.

And they DID learn to read.

[9215]

12. Oh for crying out loud!!

How about some goood news for a change!!?


OK, well there is none available, I can deal with that.

[Sandpiper]

14. I think Bush said it best himself

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"