GItalian adults have learning difficulties and the ability to understand, process and use information, is significantly below international standards. To attest to this reality is the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competenciesof the OECD on adult skills, which he sees Italy ranks last among industrialized countries and last among the big namesportraying a country in trouble and showing a worrying picture that goes far beyond simple statistics.
Functional illiteracy: one in three adults
The alarming fact that emerged from the survey is that Italians place themselves between fifteen and twenty points below the OECD average in understanding written texts, processing numerical information and solving complex problems. But the real drama is hidden behind a number: 35% of Italian adults fall into the category of “functional illiterates”.
These are those people who, despite knowing how to read and write, they struggle to understand and use the information they encounter in daily life. That is, there is a large group of citizens who, faced with more complex documents or situations that require more complex analyses, find themselves in great difficulty.
The divide between North and South
The study also highlights a strong gap between North and South: while the northern and central regions often manage to align themselves with the OECD average, the South records consistently lower values. The only area of the country that reaches a pass rate in understanding and using numbers is the North-East. A figure that highlights a two-speed Italy.
Functional illiteracy affects one in three Italian adults (Getty Images)
Age worsens functional illiteracy
Age plays a crucial role in this scenario. Young people between 16 and 24 years old show encouraging resultsexceeding not only the national average but, in the case of mathematics, also their slightly older peers. However, this initial advantage seems to dissolve as you get olderrevealing a concern about the loss of skills over the course of working life.
Difficulty in mathematics and reading
Difficulties in mathematics mirror those in reading: 35% of Italian adults struggle with operations that go beyond basic calculations. Only 6% reach levels of excellenceless than half the OECD average of 14%. A fact that has concrete repercussions on the country’s ability to innovate and compete in the global economy.
Functional illiteracy, the gender gap persists
Although the gender gap persists, especially in mathematics, where men perform better, this disappears when STEM graduates are considered. A fact that suggests that the problem does not lie in a difference in intrinsic capabilitiesbut rather in the cultural stereotypes that influence women’s educational choices, limiting their access to study and career paths in the scientific and technological fields.
The social elevator
Education remains the main social elevator: those with a degree show significantly higher skills. Nevertheless, only 20% of Italians between 25 and 65 have a tertiary qualificationwhile 38% don’t even graduate.
Investing in education is essential
This rather merciless photograph is not only clearly a problem of statistics. In fact, in a world where complexity increases and digital skills become essential, Italy risks remaining trapped in a vicious circle of low productivity and limited innovation.
The future requires decisive actions which must not only be limited to rapprochement with other countries but also to reducing internal disparities between North and South and between young and old and between men and women. Investing in continuous education and the elimination of gender stereotypes can no longer be postponed; it is a vital issue for the economy and social cohesion itself.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED