Illiteracy

Illiteracy is the inability to functionally read or write. Throughout most of human history for the common masses, illiteracy was the norm. Since works of literature had to be copied by hand, books and writings were far less common than they are in modern times. The invention of the printing press and the ability to mass-produce the written form and make it more common set a condition that started to set the stage for eventual literacy.

• We live in a country where 40% of high school graduates are functionally illiterate.