Literacy In Ireland

Acording to an O.E.C.D. report published in 1997, 25% of Irish adults performed at the lowest level of literacy competence.

This together with the estimated 10% of the Irish population that are dyslexic, paints a very distresssing picture.

Some may not be able to read or write others may be quite competent in others areas of their lives, but will be unable to fill forms or do the things we take for granted every day.

This affects every aspect of their everyday life they get very disillusioned to the fact that they can't read to their children when they are young and help them with their home work.

Some will be worried as they may loose there job if the boss finds out, others will be terrified because they will not want their work mates to know.

They also have very low self-esteem. It takes a lot of courage for a person with a difficulty to come and tell some one. That is why it is brilliant that most Centers and Schools run literacy programs and those are very confidential and the tutors are very understanding and give there time free.

It is a big problem for people with the difficulty as they keep it secret from family and friends and they will almost do anything to hide it.

Imagine you are living in a country abroad and unable to follow directions and read labels on food or go to the chemist to get something, think of how you feel lost.

Most peoples learning difficulty start in school.

It may be due to a child being sick for a few weeks and out of school and unable to catch up when they return.

It may be due to a Mother or Father dying and the trauma of the loss and the child may never gets over it.

It also may due to the fact they are dyslexics and is not picked up by their parents or their school and it goes unnotice.

We need as a people to understand that they are children getting through the system of education and they are unable to read or write, through no fault of their own.

There is no shame in having a difficulty but peoples actuates have to change. We must put ourselves in the situation of the people with a difficulty to understand there low self worth and their low self-esteem.

For anyone out there that has the pleasure of reading this page with no difficulty give a thought to all the people in our country that cant, why not become a tutor for people with a learning difficulty?. Why not contact your local school or centre and ask if you can help?

mariancurtin@eircom.net

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