The forgotten problem

Roughly one-third of the people living in our nation’s capital are functionally illiterate, according to a new report by the Department of Education. That translates to 36 percent of the population, and it is rising quickly. The national average is 21 percent.

Most of these people are immigrants who are not proficient in English.
Adults are considered functionally illiterate if they have trouble doing such things as comprehending bus schedules, reading maps and filling out job applications.

The District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, which contributed to the report, said the city lost up to $107 million in taxes annually between 2000 and 2005 because of a lack of qualified job applicants.

That’s 107 million dollars that could be given to schools or shelters. High illiteracy rates are literally taking food off of the plates of our nations poor.

What’s the solution to this problem?

As Congress debates immigration reform, perhaps they should spend some time insuring that all new Americans are literate Americans. Will this be expensive? Yes. Will it pay for itself in the long run? Perhaps.

Is this forced assimilation?

You be the judge

It's important to note that this is NOT just an immigration issue. Schools are graduating students without basic reading skills. As these Americans enter into the workforce, there is a good chance they never go back to school to learn to read and write.