PBS NewsHour

Why so many American adults lack basic literacy skills

Clip: 06/11/2019 | 8m 6s | Video has closed captioning.

In the U.S., 36 million adults lack the basic literacy skills needed to sustain employment -- yet education programs for this group serve only about 1.5 million, and funding continues to be cut at state and federal levels. Meanwhile, stigma can keep adults from reconnecting with the classroom. Kavitha Cardoza reports from Maine, whose governor has pledged to increase funding for adult education.