Literacy and success

In Shirley Bryce Heath’s essay she writes that “Literacy unlocked a variety of doors but it did not necessarily secure admission” (Heath 35). I think that this is a very true statement because a lot of the types of reading and writing associated with school success have little to do with job success. Heath notes that forms of writing associated with school success, such as expository writing, are not necessarily needed to be successful at a job. Today, there is a lot of emphasis on standardized tests and good performance by children which convinces parents that there child will be successful later in life and have occupational and job mobility.

In today’s society, literacy is often associated with wealth, but Heath shows that mechanized textile work, that does not require one to be literate, made around the same pay as a teacher. In Trackton, successful performance in school and exquisite reading and writing skills would not have put them any further ahead because by working at the textile mill, they were making equal or more money when compared to professionals of the area. I think that this best describes how literacy does not necessarily secure admission to be successful in life. This shows that in some societies literacy does not have beneficial affects and that someone who is literate and someone who is not are put at the same level.

Another important point that goes a long with this is qualities that employers look for when they are hiring someone and that often someone who is extremely literate lacks the social and communication skills that employers are looking for. Industry is increasing on the job training which does not call for literacy, but instead focus is on observing. In the essay, Heath notes, “In a recent survey of employer attitudes toward potential employees, employers called not for literacy skills generally associated with school tasks, but instead for an integration of mathematical and linguistic skills, and displays of the capability of learning ‘on one’s own’, and listening and speaking skills required to understand and give instructions and describe problems” (Heath 37). This description fits the people of Trackton because they focused on decoding phrases and meanings on their own in discussing and negotiating them with others which allowed for the skills shown above to develop.
I feel that literacy does provide one with more opportunity, but that it is not necessary to be successful. Someone could be completely literate but still lack the social skills and work ethic that employers are looking for. For this reason I agree with Heath when she states that literacy does not always secure success.