06/18/2002

New England's economy depends more than ever on a skilled work force. Yet literacy will have to improve dramatically if the region is truly to flourish. Certainly, recent U.S. Census figures show impressive gains in education over the past decade: The percentage of New England residents over age 25 who lack a high school diploma plummeted to 16 percent; the number holding college degrees doubled, to make up 29 percent of the adult population.

Yet a new report highlights serious problems lurking behind the good news: 41 percent of New England's adults (more than 4.2 million people) lack the literacy skills needed in the new economy. That includes some with high school diplomas, as well as new immigrants with low proficiency in English.

The report was commissioned by the Nellie Mae Foundation, a relatively young philanthropy devoted to increasing educational attainment in the region. Of necessity, it relied on outdated 1992 data to make its case. But if the numbers lack precision, the larger message bears up. More must be done to equip workers for the demands of a new education-based economy.

The Nellie Mae report defines literacy as something more than the simple ability to read English. Its test is whether a person can answer fairly complex questions about a text, and solve certain types of math problems. These skills are viewed as the necessary springboard to jobs that pay well enough to support a family.

Rhode Island had an uneviable record, with about 47 percent of adults unable to meet the report's literacy requirements. That amounts to some 370,000 adults. The figure for Massachusetts was 40 percent.

Services for this population in Rhode Island are fragmented and woefully limited. Only about 5,600 were enrolled in adult-education courses last year.

Similar situations no doubt exist across the nation. Taken altogether, they cry out for an influx of federal money. Keeping the economy productive is no less a part of strengthening the nation against terror than beefing up weapons and intelligence systems.

In New England, the states should look for ways to enlist businesses in partnerships that can boost literacy. Rhode Island in particular can do a better job of coordinating such efforts with the community college system. While state funds are bound to be limited in the near future, surely we can shrink the gap somewhat between the many who need help, and the handful who seem to be getting it.