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Herald Post

As you look through this edition of the Herald and Post you are doing something that most of us take for granted – reading and understanding what the written word means. Those of us who are able to do this are obviously in the majority but on the latest figures there are no less than six million adults who are simply unable to comprehend the words in front of them.

Now this doesn’t mean they are all incapable of reading. What it does mean is that while there might be a basic understanding of individual words there is a failure in being able to put them altogether and understand the big picture that is being portrayed by the written word.

The scale of this problem took me by surprise when I was first told and it led me to consider how the very quality of life is diminished by not being able to read and understand.

Just think about it; not being able to read bed-time stories to your children or grandchildren; missing out on those great works of English Literature or the thriller to be read on the beach during your summer holiday; the worry of official forms from the government, whether central or local and from your employer and of course the fact that for many people the lack of literacy skills will mean that a job is simply out of the question – especially in our modern world.

Giving these six million adults the ability to understand the written word must be a priority for the government. This is not a trendy issue or one which engages political commentators on the national newspapers. But if we really do want to see a society in which all our people can play a full and active part then tackling this lack of such a basic skill must form a key part of a progressive and forward looking agenda for the future. That is why the government should act and act now to address this problem.