Sufficiency Re-examined: A Capabilities Perspective on the Assessment of Functional Adult Literacy

There is a growing consensus that the dichotomous categories of literate and illiterate should be abandoned. However, the dichotomy has considerable utility in the analysis of educational achievements and inequality in developing countries. Statistics on functional adult literacy are intended to tell us whether people have achieved a minimum level or threshold of functioning necessary for their daily life. We should therefore carefully consider the implications of such change.