Interviewer instructions
P16 Literacy
Data on literacy provide an important indication of the capability of the nation for economic, social and cultural development. Such data serve as guide to planners concerned with the policies for the development of the educational system.
Simple literacy is the ability to read and write a simple message. A person is literate when he can both read and write a simple message in any language or dialect. A person who cannot both read and write a simple message, like "Census 2000 count me in" is illiterate. Also consider a person illiterate if he is capable of reading and writing only his own name or numbers, as well as a person who can read but not write, or vice versa.
A person who knows how to read and write but at the time of the census he/she can no longer read and/or write due to some physical defects or illness is considered literate. Example of this is an aged person who knows how to read and write but can no longer perform these activities due to poor eyesight.
Disabled persons who can read and write through any means such as Braille are considered literate.
Ask the question in P16: "Can ______ read and write a simple message in any language or dialect?" Enter "x" mark in the circle before YES, for those persons who are literate, or cross out the circle for NO, for those persons who are illiterate.
