Comprehensively literates

Nowadays, in many societies a basic literacy standard is the ability to read the newspaper. A more traditional definition of literacy is the ability to read, write and perform mathematical computations. This is the main indicator used worldwide to monitor progress in adult literacy, such as in the Education For All framework. It's understandable that a simple, measurable indicator should be used to track the progress of such program or of any other program targeted to tackle illiteracy. But the outcomes of those programs should be interpreted with caution, without much optimism. To live a productive life, people need to learn much more than read, write and perform calculations.

Public policies should go beyond that simple definition. Should proportion people with adequate tools to achieve more complex, everyday tasks. 

UNESCO provides a broader definition of literacy: "The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."

This concept incorporates other important aspects besides basic tasks. It involves the capability to 'understand' not only texts and writings, but also the environment in which a person lives. It includes the ability to understand a medical leaflet, to operate a computer, to operate an ATM, to understand directions and to move around the city, to vote in democracy, to participate in the country's concerns, to plan their reproductive life, to be healthy, to take care of the environment, to choose a desired job, to understand their rights and duties, and so on.

Based on a broader definition of literacy, it's easy to see the link between literacy and the development process. Only a person who is literate in the aspects mentioned above, has the abilities to become a developed person. Thus, the objective of the development process, and public policies, should be to promote and ensure each and every aspect of literacy for every person, without distinctions of any kind, to be enjoyed now and in the future. And once a population is 'comprehensively literate', the country could be considered 'more developed'.