In the 21st Century, the human race has reached its highest level of technology, when people can go to space, surf the Internet, and discover better solutions for the advancement in the fight against cancer and AIDS. However, at the same time, another billion in the world cannot even read a label or sign their names (UNICEF). In fact, about 21% of adult population in the USA has very basic skills in reading and writing, and another 14% are illiterate in English. Illiteracy as a consequence of poor education is a problem that can appear in any society regardless of its racial, social, or political status. Furthermore, poor education can seriously affect economical, health and social wellbeing over the course of ones lifetime.

To begin with, poor education has enormous impact on modern economy. Today, many businesses lose millions of dollars for the reason that there is a lack of skilled work force. For instance, workers who have trouble reading the instructions tend to have low productivity and quality; also these employees can often become a high risk for work related accidents. As a result, their employers need to pay higher insurance rates and use more man hours and materials to meet the competition standards; thus the economy suffers. It is a fact that illiteracy puts a financial strain on the government. For example, lack of education restricts many people from todays fast changing job market. As a result, these people cannot keep up with the growth and development of their positions. Soon enough many workers end up on welfare. Millions of dollars from taxpayers pockets have to support unemployed people and their families.

In fact, one third of all recipients of welfare in Florida have poor literacy and barely any educational background. In other words, poor education is damaging to economic development and success.

Low quality education has terrible impact on health, both physical and mental. Poorly educated people are more likely to suffer from acute or chronic illnesses and are more likely to report anxiety or depression. For example, many people face health issues and possibly die due to their inability to understand doctors instructions or read their prescriptions. Furthermore, poor educated people can be a danger not only to themselves, but to their families and people around them. Illiterate or barely literate mothers can measure wrong medications to their children.

Educational issues affect daily life and the most dramatic impact lands on social sphere, especially on life of younger generation. Children who are born into families with low level of education tend to continue that tradition as there is a lack of support and encouragement from their parents. Children look up to their parents as role models in their lives, and often times voluntary or not, they follow their parents paths. In addition, parents with minimal or no reading skills often cannot provide the kind of support their children need to do well in school. Even though all students receive the same education, the ones who have poorly educated parents show lower test scores on school assignments. Furthermore, young illiterate people have hard time expressing themselves and difficulty communicating or establishing relationships with others. Their low-self-esteem and growing frustration lead them to bad decisions or habits. Therefore, some young people become young parents and face the reality of responsibility for which they are not yet prepared.

Others get involved in illegal activities and end up in the correctional system. It is very difficult for people with low literacy rate to complete daily tasks, such as writing a letter or filling out forms. Those people tend to believe everything that they hear instead of reading or researching it themselves. Their actions are more dependent on someone elses decision, not necessarily in their own interest In conclusion, illiteracy is a growing problem all over the world and has tremendous influence on the economical, health and social aspects of lives. It is not just another problem that government has. It is a problem that should be considered as one of the highest priorities and given maximum attention as it touches lives of the people on so many levels. The decision between education and ignorance of this problems affects people today, as well as it will affect the lives of the next generation.

This material was provided by Danielle Watson, who is a writer at https://mid-terms.com/write-my-memo/. She likes to depict her thoughts on paper.