Identify, narrow, and reduce child illiteracy percentages in Texas and utilize what educators and government members can do to help illiterate children become literate and increase individual potential.
By Honorine Perera
BACKGROUND
PROBLEM 1.) According to the NCES, more than 43 million or 1 in 5 adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level. And according to the 2019 Texas Workforce Investment Council, in Texas alone 4.8 million Texas adults are in need of education programs to teach them literacy. With the increase of immigration and minority assimilation this statistic only increases.
PROBLEM 2.) According to ALA, Texas ranks 46 out of 50 among states for the number of libraries per person, with 3.2 libraries per 100,000 residents.
PROBLEM 3.) According to the U.S PIAAC, Texas spends $8,350 per student on average and ranks 43 out of 50 among states in total “per pupil” expenditures, compared to a national average of $11,762 per student.
PROBLEM 4.) According to Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, 43% of adults with the lowest levels of literacy live in poverty and according to the Children’s Defense Fund Texas 1.7 million Texas children live in poverty, which can be both a cause and a result of low literacy.
SOLUTIONS
Encourage the development of literacy programs all over in Texas and in prison rehabilitation systems
Encourage more women and mothers to go to receive an education and become literate through women’s empowerment programs
Reduce child poverty and its impacts with state grants
Reduce the responsibilities in households with illiterate members; for example, reduce the price of healthcare, child support, and provide stimulus checks
Encourage more students to receive a higher education
Increase the speditures on each student to the national average
Increase the number of public libraries per 100,000 people
ESTIMATED BUDGET
Funding by state and district for private/public funding. Estimated budget $7000 on students and $7000 on literacy programs.