Beyond Literacy

I used to think literacy was simply the ability to read and write. You know, pass exams, send texts without asking someone else for help, and maybe flex a little when reading out loud in church. But the older I’ve grown, the more I’ve come to realise that literacy is more than just putting letters together. It’s about understanding life, relationships, consequences, and how your actions affect others. So yes, I do think literacy helps shape better people. But not always in the way you might expect. Let’s start with the basics: being able to read, write, understand information, and process it well, it opens doors. It opens minds. A literate person is more likely to understand that their actions have ripple effects. They’re more likely to know their rights, question injustice, and be aware enough not to spread harmful information or fall for dangerous beliefs. Take parenting, for example. A literate parent may not be perfect (no one is), but they might have access to better information about raising children. They might read up on child psychology, know how to handle tantrums without using violence, or even just teach their child how to think for themselves. They may not always get it right, but they’re equipped with tools, books, blogs, conversations that make the journey less confusing.  Same thing with being a good neighbour. A literate neighbour may understand boundaries better. They might be the type to read notices before jumping to conclusions, the type to help translate a document for someone struggling, or even just share knowledge about a safety risk in the area. Little things, but they matter. But and this is a very big but, being literate doesn’t automatically mean being kind. Some of the most educated people have caused harm, and some people who never saw the four walls of a classroom have the biggest hearts. It’s not just about how many books you’ve read or certificates you have; it’s about what you’ve done with the knowledge. It’s about wisdom, emotional intelligence, and empathy. And sadly, these don’t always come with literacy. I’ve seen literate people use words like weapons, using grammar to belittle others. I’ve seen people with degrees cause more damage than those without. So no, being learned doesn’t make you immune to hurting people. But it should give you the tools to reflect, to pause, to ask yourself, “How could this affect someone else?” Because at the end of the day, literacy should lead to growth. Not just academic growth, but moral growth, emotional growth. The kind of growth that says, “I’ve learnt something today that makes me better than I was yesterday.” Does it make you less likely to make mistakes? Maybe not. But it might make you more willing to own up to those mistakes and fix them. So, yes literacy matters. Not because it makes someone better than others, but because it gives us the tools to be better, to do better. And when used with kindness and intention, it can make us better parents, better neighbours, and maybe even better humans.