Literacy Hindered by Lack of Funds

Week #7 Article #1

Stoeltje, Melissa Fletcher (2013, October 13) Literacy hindered by lack of funds. San Antonio Express News

Category of problem: Education

Level of problem: Local, State

This article concerns:

The high rate of illiteracy in San Antonio and in the State of Texas, and how it is directly affected by funding.

Importance/affect on families/individuals:

This is important to families and individual because although it may sound easy, going out and finding classes or tutors that will help people with their literacy problems is not easy at all. There are very few resources out there for the growing population of illiterate Texans, and in order for there to be more resources, there needs to be more funding.

My input:

I think that it is a shame that there are not more programs for people with literacy issues. It may seem like people who are illiterate are just not seeking help, but when you look at it, there is just not enough resources for this group of people, like many other people in similar situations. It may be easy for us well educated people to say that these people are not applying themselves, but it all falls into the hands of opportunity. Not all of us have an equal opportunity, as we might like to think. In the article, a man 70 year old man gave his background as to why he is lacking the ability to read with only a 6th grade education. He mentions that he was taken out of school in 6th grade to work with his family in the cotton fields. I think that there needs to be more opportunities and program funding to help people like this man who are seeking education and should be able to get that education, especially literacy education.