Consequences of the literacy crisis – The Daily Texan

The United States Literacy Crisis: A Threat to Sustainable Development Goals

Undermining SDG 4: Quality Education

Declining Literacy Rates and Lifelong Learning

• Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals that average reading scores for fourth and eighth-grade students have reached their lowest point in several decades. This trend directly challenges SDG Target 4.6, which aims to ensure universal youth and adult literacy.
• A study highlighted by Publishers Weekly indicates a nearly 40% drop in the percentage of American adults who read for enjoyment between 2003 and 2023, signaling a significant decline in engagement with lifelong learning opportunities.
• Educational disparities between school districts, and even within different zip codes, result in inconsistent levels of academic preparation among students entering higher education.

Barriers to Inclusive and Equitable Education

• Underfunded public schools and an increasing overreliance on AI tools are contributing factors to students reading, retaining, and questioning information less.
• These challenges create significant barriers to achieving the inclusive and equitable quality education mandated by SDG 4.

Jeopardizing SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Erosion of Civic Engagement and Democratic Institutions

• The decline in literacy, especially critical reading skills, is directly linked to a diminished capacity for civic engagement, which is a cornerstone of the strong and accountable institutions promoted by SDG 16.
• A reduced ability to evaluate information critically makes citizens more susceptible to misinformation, weakening the democratic process.
• According to the Pew Research Center, 43% of adults under 30 regularly get their news from TikTok, where short-form content can inhibit the deep analysis and skepticism that democracy requires.

Threats to Public Access to Information

1. Critical Reading Skills: The ability to analyze a text’s origin, author, and bias is fundamental for navigating the modern information landscape. The erosion of these skills undermines public access to reliable information, a key component of SDG Target 16.10.
2. Informed Decision-Making: Without strong literacy, the public’s capacity for informed decision-making is compromised, which in turn weakens the accountability of institutions and facilitates the spread of disinformation.

Impeding SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities and SDG 5: Gender Equality

Censorship and the Exclusion of Diverse Voices

• The state of Texas leads the United States in book ban attempts, which frequently target literature by or about people of color and LGBTQ+ communities.
• This form of censorship limits students’ access to diverse perspectives, directly opposing the principles of inclusion central to SDG 10 and the promotion of equality outlined in SDG 5.
• By narrowing the scope of available stories, these bans deny students the opportunity to grapple with complexity and difference, hindering the development of global citizenship skills as described in SDG Target 4.7.

Literacy as a Tool for Empathy and Social Cohesion

• Reading is a primary mechanism for fostering empathy by providing access to lives, identities, and histories beyond personal experience.
• Research on young adult literature confirms its role in helping students build empathy and better understand the lives of others.
• A decline in literacy erodes one of the most powerful tools for bridging social divides, thereby impeding progress toward building the peaceful and inclusive societies envisioned by the SDGs.

Conclusion: Literacy as a Foundation for Sustainable Development

An Integrated Challenge to Global Goals

• The erosion of literacy is not an isolated educational issue but a foundational threat to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals.
• It directly weakens the pillars of quality education (SDG 4), accountable institutions (SDG 16), and equitable, inclusive societies (SDG 10).
• Defending access to diverse books and promoting critical reading skills is essential for cultivating a generation capable of empathetic engagement, resisting misinformation, and participating fully in civic life—all of which are prerequisites for a sustainable future.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the literacy crisis in the United States connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to its focus on education, civic engagement, inequality, and access to information.

1. SDG 4: Quality Education: This is the most central SDG addressed. The article’s entire premise is the decline in literacy rates and critical reading skills, which are fundamental components of quality education. It discusses falling reading scores among students, a decrease in reading for pleasure among adults, and the importance of analytical reading skills for academic performance.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article explicitly links literacy to the health of democracy. It argues that the inability to read critically makes citizens “more susceptible to false information” and less likely to “participate in democracy.” The discussion on book bans and censorship relates directly to the principles of public access to information and fundamental freedoms, which are key to building strong and just institutions.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article touches upon this goal by highlighting how book bans disproportionately affect marginalized communities. It states that Texas “led the nation in book ban attempts, often targeting books by or about people of color and LGBTQ+ communities.” This practice limits access to diverse perspectives and reinforces inequalities by narrowing the scope of voices and experiences students encounter in their education. The article also notes disparities in educational preparation between different school districts and zip codes.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 4.6: “By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.” The article directly addresses this target by highlighting the “United States literacy crisis,” citing data that “average reading scores for fourth and eighth-grade students are the lowest in decades” and that the percentage of adults reading for enjoyment has “plummeted.”
• Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including… global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity…” The article emphasizes the need for skills beyond basic reading, such as the ability to “evaluate information, challenge assumptions,” “differentiate between reputable sources and misinformation,” and build “empathy.” The discussion on how literature helps students “better grasp the lives of others” and how book bans narrow the “scope of voices students encounter” directly relates to the appreciation of cultural diversity.
• Target 16.7: “Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.” The article argues that when reading rates decline, so does the “capacity for civic engagement,” resulting in a generation “less likely to… participate in democracy.” This directly impacts the goal of ensuring participatory decision-making, which relies on an informed and engaged citizenry.
• Target 16.10: “Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms…” The article’s focus on rising book bans in Texas is a clear challenge to this target. Banning books is a form of censorship that limits public access to information and ideas. The spread of disinformation, which the article links to poor critical reading skills, also undermines the quality and reliability of public information.
• Target 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory… practices…” The practice of banning books that are “by or about people of color and LGBTQ+ communities” can be seen as a discriminatory practice that creates unequal opportunities for students to see themselves represented and to learn about diverse human experiences.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can measure progress.

• For Target 4.6 (Literacy): The article explicitly provides indicators used to measure the decline in literacy.
  • Mentioned Indicator: Average reading scores for fourth and eighth-grade students, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The article states these are the “lowest in decades.”
  • Mentioned Indicator: The percentage of adults who read for enjoyment. The article cites a study finding this “plummeted by almost 40% between 2003 and 2023.”
• For Target 16.10 (Access to Information): The article implies a negative indicator for this target.
  • Implied Indicator: The number of book ban attempts in schools and libraries. The article notes that “Texas led the nation in book ban attempts,” which could be tracked as a measure of diminishing access to information.
• For Target 4.7 (Skills for Global Citizenship): The article implies indicators related to media and information literacy.
  • Implied Indicator: The proportion of the population susceptible to misinformation. The article states a decline in literacy makes people “more susceptible to false information online.” This could be measured through surveys on the ability to distinguish between real and fake news.
  • Mentioned Indicator: The percentage of adults using short-form video platforms for news. The article cites a Pew Research Center report that “43% of adults under 30 now regularly get news from TikTok,” which it links to a decline in deep, analytical engagement with information.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thedailytexan.com