Illiteracy has traditionally been viewed as largely a third world problem. However, it is becoming apparent that in countries such as the USA and Australia, illiteracy rate is on the increase. Discuss possible causes for this and its effect on society.

One of the major problems globally is illiteracy and it increasing steadily. Apart from the underdeveloped nations, there are some developed countries that

also

are battling

this

issue. In

this

essay, I will discuss the causes and their effects on the general public as a whole. There are many reasons instigating a high illiteracy rate in many western countries.

Firstly

, the financial crisis is the apparent reason for the children to discontinue their studies. The extraordinary hikes in tuition fees

further

exert financial pressures on them.

Moreover

increased cost of living impairs the situation and it is likely that the young aspirants quit their education to enter the workforce to support their families and remain poorly educated for their entire life. Without adequate literacy, these students will be unemployed or underemployed.

This

also

adversely affects the community in several ways. From a social viewpoint, the unemployed population is more prone to engage in criminal acts

such

as robbery and carrying out other illegal activities

such

as drug dealers in order to ease their financial problems.

In addition

, unemployed people are often low in morale and are more susceptible to depression.

Furthermore

, if these youngsters had studied, they would have been employed in a proper job.

Thus

, from a financial perspective, the government is losing potential tax revenue that could have been used to improve infrastructure for the betterment of society. In conclusion, the issue of the rising illiteracy rate has to be addressed urgently in order to prevent or curtail those negative consequences impacting not only western societies but

also

worldwide.