Band 8+: Education for young people is important in many countries. However, others think government should spend more money for education in adult population who cannot read and write. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Education for young people is always one of the most important targets in many countries. There is an opinion that it is absolutely necessary for the government to allocate more money for education for illiterate adults to learn to read and write. I personally agree with this school of thought for several reasons.

Granted, one might argue that it is not important for the government to spend much money on low literacy levels. Instead, they should invest more in the younger generation, who are highly qualified individuals. Therefore, these people would contribute to the development of the country. However, this line of reasoning is not quite true since it fails to recognize the fact that spending more resources on helping illiterate adults can also develop the country as well, both individually and socially. It is true that people who are not able to read and write often face various difficulties in work, such as feeling helpless when they need to write an email or a report. Therefore, literacy courses provide them with necessary knowledge and skills to overcome such problems, which could help them get a promotion at work, improving their lives.

To add more credence to my assertion, I note that countries deciding to invest more money in adult education will develop society and reap financial rewards. This is because a better-educated workforce can foster economic growth and a thriving society, contributing to the development of the country. Furthermore, literate parents are found to be better at teaching their children. Since they could educate their children with valuable life lessons by reading bedtime stories, which cannot be found in illiterate parents. As a result, the children would become brilliant and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the country and society, just like their parents.

In conclusion, it is my belief that giving access to education for illiterate adults is a sensible initiative since it not only helps each individual to have a better life, but also contributes to the development of the country.