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In his book "On the State of Egypt," author Alaa Al Aswany references the regime led by ex-President Hosni Mubarak - quipping that one doesn't need a doctorate in law to know that the country's government was repressive and corrupt.

Indeed, he acknowledged that ordinary people's opinions of what's happening in the country are often more representative of the truth than the perceptions and protracted debates of the country's more educated classes.

But Al Aswany, an Egyptian native, acknowledges that when it comes to the question of rebuilding Egypt's democracy, he would rather rely on the country's 40 million educated citizens than its illiterate population of 20 million.

When it comes to engaging in political affairs - both in Egypt and elsewhere - the inability to read and write is a major obstacle. Some 793 million adults are illiterate worldwide; women account for two-thirds of that number, and overall they are among the poorest of the poor in their countries.

A number of international conferences have sought to address these problems through promoting education, which is seen as a fundamental human right.

One campaign by the United Nations educational and cultural organization, UNESCO, declared the years between 2003 and 2013 the "Literacy Decade." It set a goal to cut adult illiteracy rates by half by 2015 - but with about four years to go, it already seems clear that nations are unlikely to meet that target.

Puttering progress

The numbers were even more alarming in the early 90s. "Twenty years ago, there were more than one billion people who could neither read nor write," said Dieter Offenhäusser, spokesman for the German Commission for UNESCO.

Since then, progress has been made, particularly in China, but also in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yet amid soaring population growth in these countries, the number of illiterate adults has only slightly decreased overall.

The authors of UNESCO's latest annual report on global education cite poor government leadership, lack of engagement and too few education programs as the culprits.

The percentages of people who can neither read nor write are also high in countries that have experienced violent conflicts - among them, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and other regions in Africa.

Balanced budget?

UNESCO describes education as a key factor in promoting development and peace, and fighting poverty. But in 21 of the world's poorest countries, military spending trumps funding for education by a landslide.

If each of those countries were to invest 10 percent of their military budgets in education, they could secure primary schooling for almost an additional 10 million children.

But the budget problems aren't just confined to developing nations. "Governments around the world spend too little on education," said Roland Bernecker, secretary-general of the German Commission for UNESCO. He added that the global financial crisis has only exacerbated the dilemma.

Ensuring better prospects for current and future generations hinges on ensuring that both boys and girls have adequate access to education - as well as good teachers who are paid a fair wage. Moreover, schools must be accessible for communities living in isolated regions, and children must be able to reach them safely.

Improving prospects

Illiteracy also poses social challenges in industrialized countries. In Germany, one study said 2.3 million people are barely able to write, and another 5 million have difficulty understanding texts. Known as "functionally illiterate," they have been taught to read and write in school but have lost that capacity over the course of their lives.

Claudia Lohrenscheit of the German Institute for Human Rights in Berlin said that's because they haven't found a practical application for those skills.

"Research shows us that children will lose the ability to read and write very quickly, primarily when they experience school as an instrument of oppression - for example, if it's not being held in their native language, or when they are unable to use what they've learned to improve their own life circumstances," she said.

Poor prospects reduce people's motivation to learn. The idea of life-long learning has been promoted as a way of helping encourage people to actively take part in society - and not just in Western industrialized nations.

But deeply engaging in democratic and social pursuits is only possible if people learn to read and write - key requirements for an informed citizenry.

Author: Ulrike Mast-Kirschning (arp)
Editor: Anke Rasper