This topic on literacy really hit me because I have often pondered about literacy and if people that seem to have populated our academic institutions are actually fit to be termed literates.
In my earlier years in the university, I witnessed a lot of jungle justice and most were often initiated by students themselves, and it made me wonder how students who are supposed to become better people, especially after being privileged to get a formal education, end up forgetting their humanity and derailing off the path to become better people. I once spoke to a friend about this after a student was mobbed for allegedly stealing. His response was,
"Why did they steal? They deserve it. They should get beaten well"
He was fully in support of the beating. Now, I don't support stealing, not one bit. But there are already systems in place like the campus police and also disciplinary procedures in place to tackle issues like stealing. Resorting to violence, especially by those who are supposed to be educated and potential leaders, is alarming.
Being literate should definitely not be mistaken for being humane. Literacy isn't enough to make you a better person; it's only a medium or tool to formally learn concepts, understand humanity, and navigate the society. A person might be able to achieve academic excellence and also bag multiple degrees but being a better person is something that really can't be taught in school. Being able to make good use of the information from school in a constructive and beneficial way for the society is the true test of knowledge.
That said, I do believe literacy can be a catalyst for being a better parent or neighbor. Both my parents are literate, and I was fortunate to have people around me that could get formal education. Having educated parents influenced my mannerisms and access to information and it also made life less strenuous. I have interacted with a lot of people; they love their parents very much and are grateful for having them, but during conversations with them, they often talk about how difficult it was to navigate through life because the people around them were quite ignorant. They blame the background they came from for not being knowledgeable of some things that other children seem to know a lot about naturally. That's why I am a huge proponent of getting formal education, especially for parents. It would make you a better parent, which then leads to a better society because children tend to mimic what parents do.
Additionally, literacy mitigates errors that could lead to disasters which could potentially hurt people. I remember in secondary school when a chemical called Tetraoxosulphate(VI) acid, also known as H2SO4 was carelessly stored in the dormitory. A lot of ignorant students thought it was hot-water, because it brought out steam when opened, it was the science students around that recognized the chemical properties and then stopped the other students from playing with it. Literacy should never be underrated, a huge hazard could be prevented.
In summary, literacy is important, but it's not enough. Your humanity should never be compromised.
Thank you for reading ♥
Images are mine
Editing with Canva
