Over the years, the term ‘illiteracy’ was mainly synonymous with third-world countries but in recent times, there has been a surge in the number of uneducated persons in some developed nations. Factors such as increase in tuition fees and rising level of poverty has contributed to this trend and if the aforementioned issues remain unchecked such countries could experience a rise in crime rate as well as economic collapse.
Today,most countries; the more advanced countries inclusive have experienced economic meltdown that has affected all spheres of such countries including the educational sector. Owing to this,the amount of money allocated for educational development has declined necessitating most institutions to opt for other means of generating revenue hence the need for school fees increment.The resultant effect is that, indigents who would naturally opt for educational pursuits are compelled to drop out of various colleges.To examplify, a recent study by some educationalists in Ontario, Canada, revealed that about 80% of private university students dropped out of school due to a rise in tuition fees as majority of them were from impoverished backgrounds.
The consequences of having a high proportion of illiterates in developed societies are profound.Firstly, societies dominated by unlearned people end up being crime hubs.This is due to the fact that having a quality education is key to leading a fulfilled and financially stable life and when this is not the case, citizens resort to malicious acts like drug- trafficking and robbery thereby making the society unsafe for habitation.Moreso,with more illiterates,the number of professionals available for gainful employment depreciates and the ripple effect is poor economic growth.
In conclusion, first-world countries have experienced an astronomic rise in uneducated persons and factors such as extreme poverty and a hike in tuition fees has been linked to this trend.If this remains unattended to,economic stagnation and an increase in crime rates are inevitable.