One out of every eight kids in The Netherlands can't read at the age of eight. 1.5 Million (adult) Dutchies still have trouble reading. (total population: 16 mil.) :(

That sounds bad. Where did you get this information from? 10% of the adult population having trouble reading...

Do you know how that ranks with the rest of Europe? I wouldn't be suprised that other European countries would be worse off.

Yeah, i know.... Helmond always was a backward town. :D

Dutch newspapers. Who got it from the CBS. A government agency who keeps track of such things. Pretty reliable.

What is meant by trouble reading?

Well if they are anything like Johnny, then I am not surprised. You try reading with double vision and a spinning head after 20 beers :D

They're not analphabetic, but have serious trouble reading and writing.

I always thought that the Dutch could speak 4 languages by the time they were 10 years old! :eek:

How do they define trouble? It does seem a dodgy survey, after all 87.456% of all statistics are made up on the spot (like this one) :D

Well if they are anything like Johnny, then I am not surprised. You try reading with double vision and a spinning head after 20 beers :D </font>[/QUOTE]20 beers don't make my head spin, 40 maybe, i'll have to test that next weekend. :D

Yeah, right. You may be an alcoholic, but you're still human. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Yeah, right. You may be an alcoholic, but you're still human. [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]Human? No, more like the Man of Steel... liver [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I read that Estonia, my little East-European country, has one of the lowest percentage of analphabetic people in the world, mind you. ;)

The veracity of statistics aside, why do you find it sad? Is literacy a pre-requisite to happiness? Do you think pre-literate nomads were/are in a state of constant depression?
By all means enjoy your literacy if you feel so inclined. I think that skills=power. But illiteracy is not something to look down on or pity.

[ 04-19-2004, 06:03 AM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

Yeah, right. You may be an alcoholic, but you're still human. [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]It's still true though. Can't help it.

Sweden introduced a mandatory public school system 1842, and I assumed the Netherlands, being somewhat similar to Sweden, had a similar system. Is there a public scholl system in the Netherlands? :1ponders: If it was introduced 20 years ago I would have understood how some of the elderly had trouble reading, but if it's a hundred years old? I don't know if 10% is good or bad overall in the Western world, but it sounds fairly high in my ears.

No, literacy isn't important for happiness, but it's a fairly basic skill to have in our modern society. Besides, the pre-literate nomads had no need of literacy since there were nothing to read. ;)
But literacy IS a skill, and a powerful one to boot. And I don't look down on or pity people who have trouble reading, I just consider them to be at a slight disadvantage overall compared to they ones that reads well.

If you were illiterate you wouldn't be able to post on IW and that would detract from your happiness. Reading brings happiness in so many little ways, not to mention the usefulness of it in our modern society without which your quality of life would be far lower. Surely I don't need to spell it out ;)

Whoever asked, 10% is very high. In western Europe at least illiteracy tends to be around 1%. It's much higher in some 3rd world countries.

Yeah, right. You may be an alcoholic, but you're still human. [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]It's still true though. Can't help it. </font>[/QUOTE]<young beginner drinker voice> Oh Johnny, you are sooo cooool! </dumb voice off> [img]tongue.gif[/img]

But if I were illiterate it is unlikely that I would know or care about IW. Ignorance is bliss.

If you don't have the 'literacy is vital' argument drummed into your head from birth it is unlikely that you are going to experience any anxiety over not being able to read or write.
Likewise, if you don't have the 'fat is ugly' argument drummed into your head (which is argued for, subtly and not-so-subtly by 'the media'), then you are unlikely to feel anxiety about putting on a few pounds [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'm not saying literacy isn't valuable, quite the contrary. I just don't believe that it is necessary for happiness, and a low rate of national literacy is not a sad thing.

Heh.. the source is the Dutch Government, and I don't think they enjoy making themselves look worse then they really are. Hierophant: I don't think literacy is a requirement for happiness, it is our educational system I consider to be sad.

[ 04-22-2004, 09:46 AM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

I doubt Johnny even gets drunk anymore - I know loads of alchies who just dont feel anything no matter how much they drink since they're so used to alcohol. I hope to be at that stage myself before too long.

And yeah, that really is bad, 10%... you honestly wouldn't think so. But then I guess it depends on where you are in the country - some places are indeed pretty backwards.

Yeah, right. You may be an alcoholic, but you're still human. [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]It's still true though. Can't help it. </font>[/QUOTE]<young beginner drinker voice> Oh Johnny, you are sooo cooool! </dumb voice off> [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE]You are even more coooool

Then it's time for the Nether Government to pump a hell of a lot of more money into education.