No more words for America

           Common sense seems to dictate that Illiteracy is one of the most serious problems for only undeveloped or “third world” countries around the world. Also this term apparently does not fit with the concept of “world power” like America. In spite of this conception, illiteracy is a serious issue in America, one of the most powerful and prosperous countries of the world which faces the shocking statistics of 14% of American adults who have reading/writing skills below 5th grade who are “functionally illiterate” and another 29 % of the same group who have only 5-7 grade reading/writing skills according to the National Adult Literacy Survey in 2003. In America you do not need to know how to read, but you are able to graduate from high school or college. Moreover, you can have a prosperous and successful life. Although some American students do not how to read, they are able to graduate from high school with social promotion, cheating and other tactics, as well as a lack of motivation from parents and teachers who are not facing this serious issue.

        One of the main factors that allows illiterate students to graduate is a popular practice referred to as social promotion. In an article by Kenneth J. Cooper entitled “Pupils Sweat Out the “Big Test” “she deplores the tendency to promote passing failing students to the next level rather than hold them back.  In other words, these students are not getting the minimum requirements in order to integrate a new and challenging level of skills. In discussion of social promotion, two controversial issues have been heard.  On the one hand, it has been practiced to protect the self-esteem of students, Cooper said. On the other hand, Therese Dozier a professor who Cooper mentions in his article if students already knew they were going to be promoted, then why are they  going to spend time learning the material?  She repudiates . For example: In “Readers Block,” Karen Brailsford presents Jay Thiessen, 56, an illiterate and successful business man, who has a firm with annual revenues of 5 million. “I had lived in fear” he said. Thiessen was kept out of school for having rheumatic fever for first time at 5 years of age , when kids learn  basic reading skills. Then as a teenager and adult, he learned really well how to deal with his illiteracy. He did not have any scruples using any resources in order to get his target: passing to the next level. He was a mediocre student, but he was a crafty boy who never had taken a writing class. However, he was passed because he was a nice and charming boy. Does this social promotion grade the skills/ abilities of the students, or just the sympathy for them? Is this practice fair for a great student who is not particularly charming? It’s wonder this practice has so many opponents. I always believed that students should be graded according to their efforts and abilities; however my experiences in a big variety of classrooms shows me that professors often prefer a passive student with neither opinion nor arguments,  who accepts everything that the professor says without hesitation.

          Another important factor that permits illiterate students to graduate from high school is some “resources” that students use, like cheating or plagiarism and acting out. A survey among 6,000 students, in 31 of the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities found that 70% had cheated, according to an article in Los Angeles Times. Also, in the article: “The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read,” Donna Feeney introduces  Corcoran, 49, an illiterate  English Grammar and Social Studies professor not  diagnosed  with dyslexic  until his adult life. “I was like a cat burglar, and the jewels were the degrees,” claims Corcoran, who says the main reason people do not learn is due to inadequate instructions. Corcoran was able to graduate from high school because he was a master of cheating and acting out. He was a good-looking and popular guy who copied homework from pretty girls. He cheated in most classes his entire life not only in high school but also in college. He also was an amazing actor who portrayed an idiot to distract the attention of his teachers. When it comes to the topic of cheating or plagiarism, most of us will readily agree that its an immoral way to reach goals. Where this agreement ends, however, is on the question of “the end justified the means.” Some are convinced that plagiarism is a deplorable act out, others maintain their position.  The new revolution in high-tech digital info contributes enormously to a new wave in cheating: online term-papers sell formatted reports on practically any topic, services exist to prepare any kind of homework or take online tests for students. This phenomenon and these websites are well known to educators, camera phones are used to send pictures of tests, and MP3 players can hold digitalized notes.  A friend of mine who graduated in English from college, gets 30 dollars per essay writing papers for college students weekly.

       Finally, one last  factor that permits students to graduate from high school without knowing how to read is the lack of parental guidance. In “Teenagers in Dreamland,” Robert J. Samuelson repudiates that teenagers are not fully aware of what they really want. They want to be independent, like an adult, but they are still immature or lacking experience.  He points out that teenagers have taken control and adult authority has decreased. American culture proclaims freedom, and teenagers have taken that for granted.  Where are the parents? Parents work all day to pay the mortgage, provide food, health insurance and two cars probably, leaving teenagers by themselves, without a guide. Corcoran from “The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read” by Feeney, had dyslexia, which is an aphonic awareness. He suffered throughout his childhood, adolescence and part of his adult life without understanding his disorder. Neither his parents nor his professor at school were able to detect his condition. Although Feeney does not say so directly, she apparently assumes this disorder caused him not to learn to read. Also his parents never encouraged him; they just believed that he would learn to read at some point, claims Feeney.  Thieseen, from “Readers Block” by Karen Brailsford, has a heart murmur as a result of suffering rheumatic fever. His parents never pushed him. His mother was afraid of his fragility. They were poor readers. In others words his parents did not want to face the problem. They denied that a problem existed. They did not want to  see nor understand  the problem. Americans score lower, but they are mostly satisfied in comparison with Asian kids, according to Stevenson, from “Teenagers in Dreamland” by Samuelson. Stevenson deplores the tendency of parents who do not encourage their kids to study hard. He said, “If children believe they are already doing well and their parents agree with them,-what is the purpose of studying hard?”
      In conclusion, social promotion, cheating and other tactics and the lack of parental guidance are contributing to students graduating from high school although they do not know how to read. Social promotion, rather than protecting the self-esteem of students hurts them. Students are passing and finishing without the basic skills. The increase of competition for college admissions and universities in recent years may blame cheating and plagiarism. Finally, we are getting our teenager to decide by themselves. We need to guide them to take the best decisions until we are sure they are ready to leave our nests.