I see this literacy being touted with all communist experiments (Cuba, Venezuela) but I think it's wrong to claim literacy as a goal in and of itself. Literacy to do what, read celebrity gossip in papers?, US in 19th century (~1870) had 20% illiteracy (can't read or write in any language) and only around 20% literate and yet a more fulfilling and better life I suspect than Cuba / maybe Kerala (never been to Kerala). I suspect economic growth doesn't depend on literacy for rural economies based on farming/ hands on jobs.
Well, it's usually a key development KPI because it's highly correlated with economic growth. I don't know Cuba well, but Kerala is def better than USA circa 1900 in most human development indices.
That said of course there's multiple types of literacy which changes what it means (read your name vs business ready etc), so yeah it doesn't help by itself, it's more an indicator variable, an important one.
I also think that part of the reason it becomes of the metric Communists like is because it is one that can the most easily be solved through public investment.
I see this literacy being touted with all communist experiments (Cuba, Venezuela) but I think it's wrong to claim literacy as a goal in and of itself. Literacy to do what, read celebrity gossip in papers?, US in 19th century (~1870) had 20% illiteracy (can't read or write in any language) and only around 20% literate and yet a more fulfilling and better life I suspect than Cuba / maybe Kerala (never been to Kerala). I suspect economic growth doesn't depend on literacy for rural economies based on farming/ hands on jobs.
Well, it's usually a key development KPI because it's highly correlated with economic growth. I don't know Cuba well, but Kerala is def better than USA circa 1900 in most human development indices.
That said of course there's multiple types of literacy which changes what it means (read your name vs business ready etc), so yeah it doesn't help by itself, it's more an indicator variable, an important one.
I also think that part of the reason it becomes of the metric Communists like is because it is one that can the most easily be solved through public investment.