ABSTRACT
Considering that literacy is one of the most basic life skills, it is disconcerting to observe dramatic differences in literacy levels around the world, such as between developed and developing countries and between men and women (Ramdas, 1989). As Greaney (1996) documented, developed countries report illiteracy rates of 3.3%, whereas this rate is more than 30% in developing countries. However, even in developed countries the low illiteracy rates are deceiving, because there are large segments in populations who, although not illiterate, still have literacy skills too low to meet the demands of their society (see Kirsch, 1993).
