Illiteracy is not caused by a lack of intelligence. It is often a result of outside factors or disabilities that can be addressed. A major cause of illiteracy is the economic condition of the people, those living in poverty cannot afford to go to school and most of the children are put to work at a young age. Some undeveloped countries simply do not have the funds to put towards schooling.
A little known cause of illiteracy is cultural influences, children learn a lot from their environment at a young age and are known to mimic the behavior of the people around them. This is why parents are encouraged to read to their children, it sets an example, showing reading as a form of enjoyment. This can be applied to any educational activity. Parents with little desire to read or those that lack appropriate reading/learning skills themselves are more likely to subconsciously pass this trait onto their children.
Some people have argued that ignorance and unwillingness are causes of illiteracy for some people. There are people who believe that a child has no need for schooling and would benefit more from learning a trade. Some forms of severe dyslexia can sometimes lead to a person becoming illiterate although this can almost always be evaluated and improved.
You've asked the causes of illiteracy and that is a very good question indeed. But you must understand that the illiteracy does not have a single cause. It has many causes behind it. I would try to tell some of them.
The one and the more biggest cause of illiteracy is the financial problems, you know if someone does not have the means of sustenance he can never think about any thing but food. It is because after getting food we would be able to read and study. And the people who face financial problems and who live under the line of poverty can not afford their children to study so they send them for work.
Another cause of illiteracy is the geographical factors of some place, like some people live in such a location where a good institute can't be establish. For example there is a place in Pakistan which does not have enough population in it and it is all deserts. So only the old locals live there who are living there since centuries and they don't send there children somewhere else to study.
Similarly the mindset about education also matters most. Some people don't think education as useful and they usually tend to learn some skill for their livelihood. So these are the major causes of illiteracy. Yet there are some other causes as well. But I think this answer is sufficient for you to understand.
Illiteracy means not being able to read and write. A person who has not received elementary education is illiterate. Literacy as we all know is essential for the growth and progress of individual as well as society. There are countries where literacy rate is hundred per cent. But most of the developing and under developed countries are struggling to educate the masses the recent survey has indicated that in Pakistan literacy rate is 38.9 per cent, the male and female literacy rate stands at 50 and 27 per cent. This situation is not satisfactory at all.
Pakistan is lagging behind many other countries of the region. There are two kinds of illiterates' illiterate children and illiterate adults. Among the main causes of illiteracy the first is poverty. People living in slums and villages cannot send their children to school while they starve for a morsel. Lack of awareness of the significance of education makes many people disinterested in any such comparing. Lake of educational facilities is also a major factor. In rural areas man schools are without proper building and furniture etc. sometimes school is there but there is no teacher.
Lack of resources on the part government is a major obstruction in the propagation of primary education. Govt. spends less money on education as compared to other developing countries. Some religious people do not allow the education of their children particularly girls except religious education.
Pakistan is a developing country, and illiteracy rate in Pakistan is 49.9%, which is very low as compared to most other countries. But the poverty rate in Pakistan is very high i.e. 37.5%. I think the main cause of illiteracy in pakistan is poverty, because poor people can't afford their children to send for education. The second cause is Unemployment, it is because most of educated people in Pakistan are unemployed and other people also think that, "what is the benefit of that education, which can't provide any job, its better to start any business instead of waisting time on education.". And the third cause is our corruption: The education fund in Pakistan is 2% of National budget, but these funds are never fairly utilized for the education purpose.
Some people have a legitimate reason,they just can't learn due to medical or mental problems and you also have those that refuse to learn because they are not interested....hope this bit of information is a enlightenment to you.....
Illiteracy is not just a matter of not being able to read books, It affects many of the activities of adult daily living and it presents a major obstacle to effectiveness in job and home life.Statistics indicate that approximately 43 percent of those with literacy problems live in poverty . Literacy is essential for the growth and progress of individual as well as society.
Causes of illiteracy are caused sometimes as a result of bad political situations which can lead to closing of schools and stopping the educational situations
