The problem with literacy is that
the poorly educated do not automatically revert to a pre-literate state. On the contrary. A pre-literate person was obliged habitually
to exercise his memory and imagination.
An illiterate person has neither skill.
I’ve just spent several hours correcting the assignments of
semi-literate high school graduates who are now college freshmen. It is late.
I am discouraged. My own
institutions—a small state university and a considerably larger community college—have
demonstrated once again that their primary entrance requirements are a pulse
and a credit card. I am beyond
discouraged.
Do you think you're reaching at least a few of them?
ReplyDeleteI taught English at universities and colleges in Japan, and the students in each year seemed to be a little dumber than the previous year. I remarked on that once, and other teachers agreed with me. Scary.
Is it the same here? I just applied to become a tutor in a local school district, and I wonder it's going to be any more than a job.