Facts about Adult Literacy in South Carolina and the United States.
- 828,804 adults in SC, aged 16 and over, do not have a high school diploma. This is 26.58% of the adult population
- 31% of those without a diploma are age 60 or older
- Equal numbers of men and women are without a diploma, with men constituting 49.4%, females 49.6%
- 57% self-identify as white, and 29% self-identify as African-American
- 38% are employed, 5% are unemployed, and 57% are “not in the labor force” (retired, homemakers, or are not seeking employment)
- One third live below the poverty level
- Half survive on less than $12,000 a year
- 6% use English as a second language or speak no English at all.
In Columbia:
- About 1/3 of adults read below a 6th grade level
- Many are older adults who attended segregated schools before 1970
- Some lived in rural areas, worked on farms, and had poor school attendance, before attendance became mandatory
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