Literacy and development

Does literacy lead to development? For years, there were many who believed the answer was unambiguously, “Yes.” Accordingly, billions and billions of dollars have been invested in literacy and education in the hope that development would take place. Many countries have not seen this happen. Some are beginning to ask what went wrong.

Historically, there is evidence that in both Europe and in North America, literacy and education followed development rather than having driven development. Critics counter, however, that if literacy and education had not been present, other favorable forces alone would not have lead to the kind of development which took place.

A common and pragmatic position taken by many today is that education is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for development. The question still not completely answered is, “What are the sufficient conditions for development?”

Most people in the field of education respond by noting that even if education is not a sufficient condition for development, it is a necessary condition. Therefore, they say, "Let us get on with education which is what we educators know and understand. We will let the economists and development theorists fight over the answers to the other question."

• Fact module: Literacy and development
• In overview module: Background issues in literacy, by Stephen L. Walter
• In modular book: Prepare for a literacy program, by Stephen L. Walter, Mary Morgan, and Leah B. Walter
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 1 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International