"Reading Readies Kids For The Future" By GEORGE H. RYAN, Lieutenant Governor

Did you know that by the time the average youngster reaches kindergarten, he or she has already watched 5,000 hours of television? That's more time than it takes to earn a bachelor's degree. And that's why I think it's critical that we get our kids out from in front of the television set and back behind a good book.

So many of us see reading as such a basic skill that we tend to take it for granted. But consider this: illiteracy costs businesses and taxpayers an estimated $20 billion a year. And that obviously means it affects the state's economy and quality of life.

At some point in the past it might have been possible to get by without being able to read. But living in today's "age of information," reading means dollars, for our state and for it's citizens. Businesses need more highly skilled workers to compete against Japanese and European companies. By the year 2000, a third of all jobs in Illinois will require a college education. Unless things change, this could leave as many as 200,000 jobs unfilled for lack of qualified applicants.

Sadly enough, even a high school diploma does not guarantee that a job applicant can read or write. Half of the adults in our literacy programs are graduates of Illinois high schools. A high school diploma should mean that an individual can read at a 12th grade level. That's why this spring I supported legislation — sponsored by State Representative Loleta Didrickson, R-Flossmoor — requiring ninth graders and high school seniors to pass basic proficiency tests before graduating.

We can be proud in Illinois because we have laid the groundwork for strong literacy programs. We have the second largest library system in the nation. But we don't always appreciate what we have. Community leaders — especially from the business community — need to be aware of the role libraries can play. Libraries are an invaluable source of information for corporations and should be treated accordingly. Businesses, for example, should help sponsor local library programs in a much larger way. Of course, parents, schools, and community groups all have roles to play in fostering respect for books and reading. We have to demonstrate a renewed commitment to reading both as a skill and a pleasure.

I have also proposed a state program to provide a low-cost source of funds for libraries. Known as "Bonds for Books," it would be set up along the same lines as the Rural Bond Bank, which we started several months ago to help small towns with public works projects. Libraries shouldn't have to pay the high interest rates and other costs just because they're small.

Libraries and literacy — we can't have one without the other. And we can't have a thriving state without both. •

August 1990 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21