G'morning Vern,

 VH> Oh, they learn everything.  Those little eyes and ears are always busy.

And hard to surprise !

 VH> But what does that mean?  Many of the people I'm talking about have
 VH> been to school.  Yet they cannot read well enough to read a simple
 VH> child's book or fill out an application form.

I believe that,  if personal histories can be accurately analysed, 
such people never got to experience other people acting on and 
enjoying reading.  If your world wasn't literate, learning to be 
so is one big challenge.  Hence my...

 MM>Real adult illiterates are only marginally better
 MM>off than true feral humans who escaped the physical
 MM>brain changes wrought by being reared in a human,
 MM>literate environment.

A teacher who can cut through that handicap is worth the gold they 
weigh !

 VH> We were quite successful here with computer-aided courses (which my
 VH> company produced.)  However, soldiers are above average in
 VH> intelligence, and are under miltary discipline.

These ex-railway people tested at around 80-90 IQ points on non- 
verbal tests,  and had been working by themselves tending back- 
country tracks - redirected to the Army as part of an re- 
employment scheme...  very depressing.

 MM>Every human baby should have the inalienable right to the sort of
 MM>adult company that his society merits most....

 VH> And every child should have the right to a first-class education, but
 VH> many do not get it.

Amen to that, too.  My contemporaries who got free University 
educations moved into politics and made education chargeable,  
devising a student loan scheme for those without family gold.

This nation of 4 million now has 9 billion dollars owed it by 
struggling graduates and fall-outers - and the debt is 
accelorating.

These politcians and economists ought to be re-drafted into 
railway track maintenance....

:-(

Miles.
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