Re: CHAT (POLITICS!!!): Putting the duh in Florida

> Date:         Mon, 4 Dec 2000 00:00:15 +0100
> From:         Irina Rempt <ira@...>
> On Sun, 3 Dec 2000, John Cowan wrote:
> > On Sun, 3 Dec 2000, Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> > > Hmm.  What *is* the literacy rate in the U.S., anyway?  <looking around>
> > About 89%, scandalously low for a First World nation.
> That's really scandalously low. The last figure I read for the
> Netherlands was 98%, not counting those 5-7% of people over fifteen
> who are functionally illiterate (nominally literate, but at the
> approximate level of an eight-year-old; they can *read* all right,
> but don't expect them to *understand* anything). Our almost
> seven-year-old is better than that :-)
The official Danish literacy rate is something like 98% too --- but it
was in the news last week that the rate of functional illiteracy is
about 1/3.

I think it's another definition than the Dutch, though --- something
like not trusting ones own ability to use a manual, or not being able
to enjoy reading a book. (I.e., many of those counted can in fact read
and understand, but they don't want to).

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)