Political science is the study of politics and its practice. It is a field concerned with the study and understanding of the political, economic and social variables of the state. The major focus of political science is the art of attaining, controlling and manipulation of power, both in the socio-economic and political spheres of the society. All, to solve society’s problems.
Looking at our nation, Nigeria, through the lens of a political science student, one can spot a number of obvious problems that affect the nation’s economy directly and indirectly. This writer thus takes the political perspective in an attempt to provide a proposal for possible solution to one of the most prominent factors that negatively affect the nation’s economic health, which is the issue of illiteracy.
A recent study to investigate the relationship between educational attainment, literacy skills and economic growth found that investment in human capital, that is, in education and skills training, is three times as important to economic growth as investment in physical capital, such as machinery and equipment. One of the study’s key conclusions is that a country that focuses on promoting strong literacy skills throughout its population will be more successful in fostering growth and wellbeing than one in which the gap between high-skill and low-skill groups is large. Accessibility issues are a consideration as well, since increasing access to education and training can help to address an apparent inequality in employment and earnings, for more and less skilled individuals.
According to a new report by the World Literacy Foundation, an approximate 10 percent of the world’s population is either completely or functionally illiterate, meaning they can’t perform basic tasks necessary in this literally constantly evolving world. Approximately, more than 796 million people are illiterate, and according to the WLF report, such number can cost the global economy over one trillion dollars annually.
The WLF also states that poor literacy affects a person’s ability to engage in critical thinking. Some of such which really bother me include understanding government policies and voting in elections. Illiteracy places even more strain on society by creating barriers to healthcare and financial planning for the illiterate, which can lead to increased crime rates and welfare dependence, which is a drag on national expenditure and eventual security crisis.
According to a new report by the World Literacy Foundation, an approximate 10 percent of the world’s population is either completely or functionally illiterate, meaning they can’t perform basic tasks necessary in this literally constantly evolving world
Based on the conception that the government is supposed to be a machinery through which the will of the state is formulated and expressed and this will is based on the common will of the citizenry and is directed by public opinion, I want to pull our attention to a nation where half of the citizenry is practically sidelined and uninvolved in the practices and policies of government. But this dormancy is not due to negligence or heedlessness but due to the inability to connect to the happenings around them, owing to the ceiling placed above them by illiteracy.
There exists a number of recommendations to rid of this problem; these include: establishing adult and parental literacy programs, establishing programs to attract and retain students in schools, ensuring access to quality resources, training and technologies to students, establishment of vocational institutions.
The issue of accessibility is one that I believe should be of key consideration in our nation, Nigeria, granted there are numerous formal educative institutions to train individuals in linguistic and logical curricular requirements. There should also be institutions set up that make considerations of the diverse inclinations of the youth; such inclinations that transcend beyond the books and calculators and look into vocational and avocation, and educative provisions to provide a platform for skill acquisition outside the conventional classroom. This will encourage all to partake in education, as they will be trained in their fields of interest, at subsidised fees.
Ensuring access to quality primary education for all children is critical to improving literacy levels globally, and reversing the economic drain it creates. Progress has been made and initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals and the recent Sustainable Development Goals are drawing attention to the issue, but more need to be done to ensure a long-lasting solution.
Kalada-Green is a 200-level student of Political Science at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.
