This article was published in The Citizen Newspaper – Tanzania on September 16, 2025.
Shimbo Pastory
Sociology can borrow us one of its tools for examining and tackling sociological problems, which is referred to as a ‘wider sense approach.’ This approach is important in that with it we look at a situation beyond its outer and immediate manifestation.
For example, looking at a boil from outside will give a narrower understanding as compared to looking at it deeply from the systemic levels to discover why it is actually there. The latter is analogous to the ‘wider sense approach.’
When we speak of illiteracy as a social situation, or problem, as the case may be, we should be moved to think of it as beyond its independent existence as ‘the inability to read and write.’ That is, with a wider sense approach.
While in itself not being able to read and write may not be deadly, being absent from the world that reads and writes, and relying only on the audio-visual senses is a huge deprivation.
There is so much that is communicated and preserved in writing that one has no access to, and in the same way, there is a lot that one has to offer which necessarily needs to be preserved and communicated in writing.
It is easy to exclude, mislead and exploit people who are illiterate, or incapable of reading and writing. This is because of the limited nature of their access to information and knowledge which is a basis for civic participation, democratic engagement and informed decision-making. This is where illiteracy becomes an enemy to be fought will all our possible means.
We have heard and seen people who are cheated in transactions, polling, etc. just because they cannot decipher the information that is encoded in writing. Illiteracy thus creates inequalities in opportunities in society, especially with regards to leadership and participation. When social and economic empowerment meets such a barrier the result is a loop of the cycles of poverty.
Nonetheless, going back to our wider sense approach, we discover that reading and writing is just one kind of illiteracy, though without mincing words, the most impactful. Our bigger problem at the moment is the digital literacy as technology grows at a very high speed and impacts us as social agents as well as the society as a whole.
Technology, and especially digital information technology is already a player we must mention whenever we speak of social realities; and digital literacy is at the moment as essential as traditional literacy (reading and writing) because the world is tech-driven.
Now, why do we ask whether the “perils” of our illiteracy are imminent? It is because literacy is itself the currency of socio-economic exchange, growth, progress, and opportunities. But this literacy here by far superscripts the traditional literacy, which to the rest of the fast-pacing world is a bare minimum and a non-issue.
The perils are imminent because we are a nation with a majority population of young people. More than 70 per cent of the population is aged 35 and below. For us to pace at par with the developing world and no to be left behind, literacy of the global standards is the only legacy befitting for these young people who will live much longer to build the nation in all aspects.
When we deny our young people good education, which impacts this standard literacy, we are denying this nation a future, and we are using our own hands to exclude our young people from global opportunities.
Whether we like it or not, we will soon be experiencing the new digital divide between those who can adapt with modern science and technology beyond bare minimum and those who cannot. It is good when this happens our young people will already be assured of systemic empowerment and inclusion.
Considering practical situations at the moment, we will agree literacy is a tool for building inclusive communities through shared knowledge. Illiteracy isolates people from discussions that they should be part of.
Social media, for example, can help to unite people, and in its extremes and improper use, can polarize and fragment societies. But it takes digital literacy shaped by moral values to make the most of it for good.
Moreover, in many countries political and economic engagement is intercepted and manipulated by exploiting the loopholes in people’s digital illiteracy. When people have digital literacy they ask right questions, because they can access right information. Illiteracy limits the awareness of the voters and incapacitates them in evaluating policies critically.
Empowered and literate citizens have higher chances of demanding accountability and transparency from those in governance. In the same way, when leaders have higher specialized literacy they can look at social problems and services in an approach that bridges the gaps.
It is time our education system is patterned in a way that considers our problems locally first, before the generics. This is what other countries do, which in turn helps them maximize the tools available to solve local problems and create job opportunities for their young people.
When we have an education system that does not produce what our society needs we have a big problem. Unfortunately that is the situation, leaving many educated young men and women roaming the streets without any assurance of stable job.
Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation. He is a student of the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, the Philippines. Website: www.shimbopastory.com
