29th of August 2021

Can people survive in this world without being able to read, write or answer basic mathematical questions?th August?

The simple answer is yes, but genuinely what kind of life will they lead?

Imagine driving, riding or even walking on a road and seeing a sign and not being able to read it; going to a shop and having to choose an item, but not being able to read the labels, or not being able to count the change you are given. The benefits of education go further than just being able to read signs and count change, people achieve an appreciation of where they fit in the world, they can take charge of their lives and pursue opportunities that they would have never had without some basic skills.

Education and development go hand in hand, a lack of basic skills in poor communities makes it harder for them to achieve economic progress and come out of poverty. Education is surely a very important investment in any country, 12% of people can be lifted out of poverty if everyone had the basic skills to read (UN), poverty could also be more than halved if all adults received a secondary education (UNESCO). Other benefits include the reduction of infant mortality rate, extending life expectancy, and even helping people make appropriate decisions at the time of conflict. Educated females tend to have a better awareness of healthy habits, and their income can increase by 10 to 20% for each year of schooling.

Although the answer to the original question “can people survive in this world without being able to read, write or answer basic mathematical questions?” is yes, people will never come out of poverty without some basic skills, a country will never see any kind of substantial development or progress if their citizens are not educated. It is not a life anyone would ever choose to lead if they could help it.