Illiteracy is not just a personal problem. A parent who cannot read or write cannot help his or her child to do homework. He or she cannot discuss a document with colleagues.
Such people cannot read diversion signs on the road and are thus more liable to have accidents. Every day in a million ways we read instructions or signs or newspapers. Every day we write notes, letters or send texts. All these ordinary pursuits are out of reach of someone who is illiterate.
Worse than that though is the damage that is done to their own personal esteem. They spend their lifetime covering up and some of them do it quite cleverly. They conveniently forget their glasses or have an eye infection and have to ask someone else to read what it says on the packet of pills. They worry constantly about the time when they won’t have any excuse and others will find out the shameful truth.
Life is a challenge.  Illiteracy is only one such challenge and a lot depends on our attitude towards it. Will we meet it head on and overcome it or will we slink away from it and wish it would disappear? That surely won’t happen.  We have to play our part. We have to focus on the important things in life. Surely reading and writing rank very highly on that particular list?
There is plenty of help out therefore those who have literacy problems… There are classes where pupils will be treated in the utmost confidence. So take a night class and find out how much richer the world is for those who overcome literacy problems. Won’t it be great to be able to read the certificate saying you had passed your English test?

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