Is literacy a Constitutional right?

[Kobuk]

Exactly as the thread title says. I got the idea to create this poll after viewing this article here:
http://www.tmj4.com/newsy/is-literacy-a-constitutional-right

What are everyone else's thoughts?

And for further discussion: What about the rest of the world? Should literacy be a guaranteed right for peoples in other countries?

[Foxpup]

No. How can it be? Everyone has a right to equal access to education but not equal results. The latter is not even possible as long as students have varying levels of ability. You may as well claim that everyone has a right to be good at basketball.

[Varg the wanderer]

No. How can it be? Everyone has a right to equal access to education but not equal results. The latter is not even possible as long as students have varying levels of ability. You may as well claim that everyone has a right to be good at basketball.

Seconded. Everyone has the right to access an education to learn, but not a right to the results. Nobody can give you literacy, just like nobody can give you happiness. You have the right to pursue both, and giving the critical nature of literacy I would say a right to access to education too.

[R.A.Blackpaws]

I have to say no. Literacy is a skill that can be learned or taught, much like math or quantum physics or computer building.

A right is something like the right to live your life in peace, the right to vote, the right to marry the one you love.

[Old Rabbit]

I think everyone should have a constitutional right to literacy. Now if
they choose to stay illiterate so be it. You can't force someone to
learn anything. Of course some are mentally incapable of learning very
much. Though I think they should have a right to be given a reasonable
chance to be literate too.

People around the world live their lives only knowing enough to survive.
Many though would love to learn about the world they live in. Knowledge
is power so many dictators don't want the people they control to be
educated.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

What are you peasants reading?

Nothing m'lord!

_{From an episode of Family Guy.}

[Boarders0]

I agree that literacy the ability is not a right, however the access to the ability to learn is such.

Also, the question stated here is about a certain situation where the ability to become literate is stifled behind the desire for a safe learning environment.  Where illness is claimed to be rampant and the schools are facing bankruptcy, wherein the need to survive overpowers the desire to learn despite if the students wanted to learn.

On the other hand, I learned to read before the first grade because of curiosity, desire, and spending time with my sister and her friends who were learning.  proving the point, "if there is a will there is a way".  I feel there are other undercurrents and agendas at work within this article.

[Yip]

While I would not call literacy a right, I would say society is better off if everyone is literate. Similarly, I think society would be better off if everyone had at least basic critical thinking skills.  Those might seem unrelated at first, but I think they are; both are necessary elements in having a informed populous. The former to allow them to gain information, the later to allow them to process it effectively.