Did you know ...
16.2% of Chatham County adults don't have a high school diploma; 6.4% have less than a 9th grade education. The percentage of dropouts is even higher in three townships: Matthews Township (in west Chatham), 39.4%; Cape Fear township (southeast), 19.8%; and Center Township (central), 17.1%. In Siler City, more than one-half of adults are dropouts and more than one-fourth have less than a 9th grade education. – Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey
There is a direct correlation between a lack of education and poverty. In Chatham County, one-fourth of the adults who lack a high school diploma live in poverty. Those who do have jobs take home dramatically smaller paychecks, an estimated $15,210/year compared with $25,348/year for high school graduates and $47,301/year for college graduates. – Census Bureau’s 2006-2010 American Community Survey
50% of adults in North Carolina are unable to obtain a high school diploma, struggle to secure a livable wage for themselves and their families, and do not have access to adequate health care because they lack necessary reading and life skills. – Gov. Beverly Perdue, 2009 proclamation for Literacy Awareness Month
View this ABC News report on Illiteracy in America (ABCNews February 25, 2008)
The greatest predictor of a child’s future academic success is the literacy level of the child’s mother. – National Institute for Literacy
There are no “typical” non-readers. They can be businessmen, students, farmers, housewives, truck drivers, office clerks, nurses’ aides, military personnel – anyone. They live in all kinds of neighborhoods. – National Institute for Literacy
Older people unable to read and comprehend basic health-related materials such as prescription bottles, appointment slips, and hospital forms had a 50% higher mortality rate during a five-year study than people with adequate reading skills. – Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine
Half of the nation’s chronically unemployed are not functionally literate. – Ohio Literacy Resource Center
Many people with low literacy do not perceive their skills as a problem until a crisis such as the loss of a job, a child’s need for help with school, or a health care emergency makes them aware of their literacy needs.” – National Coalition for Literacy
Of the 2 million immigrants who come to the U.S. each year, about 50% have low literacy levels and lack a high school education and English language skills, severely limiting their access to jobs and job training, college, and citizenship." – National Commission on Adult Literacy
On average, the more education a person has, the less likely that person will go to prison or back to prison. – National Commission on Adult Literacy’s June 2008 report: Reach Higher, America Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce
We face an adult education crisis that permeates every dimension of American life. It saps the energy and capability of our people, our economy, and our institutions. It feeds our national unemployment, the welfare rolls, and our correctional institutions. It literally robs America of its future. If we fail to act, not only will we lose our ability to compete in the world marketplace, we will be unable to maintain our standard of living, preserve our democratic principles, or protect national security. – National Commission on Adult Literacy report: Reach Higher
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