THE YANCEY RECORD
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1966
THE YANCEY RECORD
EbtahHgfeed My, E9M .
TRRNA P. POX, Editor * Publisher
THURMAN L. BROWN, Shop Manager
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
YANCEY PUBLISHING COMPANY
Second Class Postage Paid at Burnsville, N. C.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1965 NUMBER TWENTY
SUBSCRIPTION RATES $2.50 PER YEAL.
Letter To The Editor
Route 2
Marshall, N. C.
January 4. 1965
Editor
Yancey County Record
Burnsville, N. C. .
Dear Sir: ■
Tre problem of illiteracy has be
come a national concern. The as
sault on illiteracy has been laun
ched, sporadically, at diverse
times in different places. At the
turn of the century, it was con
sidered a problem for those burn
ing ' with missionary zeal. Many
people have heard or Tead about
“moonlight schools’’ which were
developed in southern mountain
regions to eliminate adult illiter
acy several decades ago. The solu
tion of the problem, and the re
moval of a national blight, re
fuses more than a song and a
for systematic organization, a
method of instruction, and a course
of study. The first requirement is
not too difficult to acquire. The
last two are. The Laubach Liter
acy Course of Study, however,
provides the method of instruction
which is ideally designed to as
sist the adult illiterate In find
ing a solution to his educational
problems. The stultifying effects of
illiteracy are always in the public
mind. In discussions bearing upon
Federal Aid to education this pro
blem is frequently mentioned.
The reluctance of individuals to
reveal their lacks and needs for
basic education retards, to a con
sideraole degree, the progress that
would otherwise be registered m
tne elimination of illiteracy.
Eleven per cent of the populat
ion, 25 years of age and older ex
ist today as functionally illiterate,
submarginal, and fractional citi
zens who are unable to meet the
minimum requirements of profici
ency'in languake arts skills. Will
they beget more of the same or
will we take the initiative now
and prevent their offspring from
suffering the same fate and
being shut off from so much of
what they could understand and
enjoy in life? The fact that there
are so many illiterates in a coun
try that is dedicated to the prin
ciple of free public education
Should jolt all complacency. In
pcstigation reveals that many func
tional illiterates were once able
to read and write but through
lack of use these' skills have be
come non-existent. Today approxi
mately one out of ten Americans
views most printed words in much
the same manner as one does a
rail fence. Twenty-two and five
tenths per cent of the adult popula
tion of North Carolina, Alabama
and Eastern Tennessee are func-|
tional illiterates twenty-five years
• IT NEVER FAILS
lily ——^
But wh«t o>
DIFFERENCE
a few veftes
of age or older. /
In the United States, unfortunat
ely, the battle against illiteracy
has not been won because it has
not been fought. Although devoted
to the .ideal of educaion for all
since the days of the Mayflower,
the United States has not taken
the lead in the eradication of illi
teracy. We have let Russia take
our ideal and make it wodc. Dr.
Frank Laubach of world literacy
fame, hes observed that Russia,
by harsh compulsion, rose in 30
years from 10% to 90 per cent
literacy.
■” Education seeks to bridge gaps
between primitive and modern
patterns df living, acting and
thinking. Man must be literate
if he' is to make wise decisions.
He must be a thinking person for
reasons other than, the purchase
of cigarettes. *
Illiteracy short circuits and
blunts the individual’s quest for
complete living, happiness and
broad mindedeness. It is as inimi
cal to the democratic as com
munism. There is a high correlat
ion between illiteracy and:
1. Incidence of poverty, disease
and malnutrition. ©
2. Incidence of infant and ma
ternal- deaths.
3. Incidence of occupational in
efficiency.
4. Incidence of superstitious be
liefs.
; 5. Low wages and percapita In
borne.
6. Low-level aspirations and ac
complishments.
7. T .arV of civil*
Fortunately, the evils accom
panying illiteracy can be treated,
and it can be eliminated. Educat
ion through an all-out assault is
the cure. This specialized treat
ment for adult literacy education
was developed by Dr. Frank C.
Laubach. As a Congregationalist
missionary in the Philippines, over
30 years ago, he began an educat
ional project on the literacy fron
tier that took him into 97 countries
involving 260 languages and dia
lects. His first objective was to
teach illiterate natives how to
read in their respective language.
His works were permeated with
compassion closely akin to that of
the greatest teacher of them all.
The laubach approach for teaching
adults is sometimes known as the
“picture-word-letter” procedure. It
adheres to the principles of adult
teaming. Its content, is adult. It
appeals to juid motivates adults in
the acquisition of new learning.
The adult learns better through
association than by rote memory.
Picture associations help him re
call the key words in the lesson,iA
minimum of memoriaaation is re
quired in progressing from the
known to the unknown.
Literacy is a means of breaking
the deadend chains of poverty. The
best way to wage the ‘‘war on pov
erty” is through a blueprint gear
ed to education of a remedial na
ture. The standard education menu
has obviously not done the Job
for children from deprived fami
lies—the very ones whose back
grounds reflect little elevation at
all but rather a grinding illiteracy
which destroys aspiration and
nullifies hope. The ilHterate’3,
plight Is primarily the effects of |
an environment that is depressive,
rather than the biographies of
unlucky individuals. There are
historical and economic forces
that keep the functionally illiterate
under oppression: there are hu
man beings who contribute to this
grim. business, many of them un
wittingly. " , '
The ultimate goal in literacy
education is the development of a
socialized and integrated human
personality. Literacy education, in
terms of the school and its contri
bution to mental growth and de- (
velopmc.it, is the key that unlocks
the doors to other basic areas of
living. The acquisition of funda
mental learning experiences will
be reflected through an improved
status of personal-social relation
ships in the following areas: (1)
Home membership, (2) Health and
physical fitness, (3) Vocational
competency, (4) Citizenship ideals,
(5) Recreation and leisure time
activities, (6) Ethical relations.
If the Readers of various com
munities will secure qualified tear
chers to teach the non-reader and
non-writer in their vicinity, it
will be possible to make a major
breakthrough In the cycle illit
eracy and dependency in which
many of our citizens are trapped.
We should unite the forces of
home, church and school in this
respect because it is known that
illiteracy weakens democracy,
undermines occupational effective
ness, prevents growth and whole
some family life, impedes nation
al, economic and social progress,
retards individual creative ex
pression and contributions, and
limits personal happiness and
satisfaction. It will take Intelligent
planning and coopertive effort to
do the task well.
Sincerely,
Joe L. Morgan, Chairman,
Literacy Committee, French
Broad Baptist Assn.
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