New methods for comparing literacy across populations: insights from the measurement of poverty

Kevin Denny

No 200007, Working Papers from School of Economics, University College Dublin

Abstract: This paper analyses levels of low literacy across twelve countries using the International Adult Literacy Survey. We go beyond existing work that only looks at the proportions below certain critical levels of literacy. Using methods developed for the measurement of poverty we calculate measures of literacy that are sensitive to the distribution of literacy within those defined as illiterate. This reveals a different pattern of the extent of literacy problems across countries and within some populations. These measures should be useful to policy makers who need to allocate resources to alleviate low literacy and numeracy.

Keywords: Literacy; Numeracy; Poverty; Education policy; Literacy; Education and state; Poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000-04
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http://hdl.handle.net/10197/919 First version, 2000 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: New methods for comparing literacy across populations: insights from the measurement of poverty (2002)
Working Paper: New methods for Comparing Literacy across Populations: Insights from the Measurement of Poverty (2000)
Working Paper: New methods for comparing literacy across populations: insights from the measurement of poverty (2000)
Working Paper: New methods for comparing literacy across populations: insights from the measurement of poverty (2000)
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