RELATION OF ILLITERACY TO ORIGIN 173 
RELATION OF ILLITERACY TO ORIGIN AND OTHER FACTORS 
That illiteracy is largely a matter of origin has been established in a second way in 
the report referred to above. It was found that immigrants of different origins tended to 
show relatively the same proportions illiterate whether they were of foreign or British birth. 
Further, it was found that similar differences persist as between the various age groups of 
the respective foreign stocks, The reader is referred to page 67 of “Illiteracy ahd School 
Attendance in Canada” for a detailed discussion of these correlations. 
A third method of showing that illiteracy is largely a matter of origin is discussed on 
page 114 of the same report. A study was made of 49 selected census districts in the 
Prairie Provinces, and a very marked relationship was found between the percentage of the 
8 most illiterate peoples and the total illiteracy in the population of the various districts. 
The correlation between the percentage of those stocks and the amount of illiteracy in the 49 
districts was found to be + -98. “It might be said that illiteracy and the presence of those 
stocks was practically an identity. It is not necessary to resort to elaborate statistical 
analysis to show that this is true. Definite statistics for those stocks have been given in the 
census of 1921, the relevant portion of which may be summarized for the 49 divisions in 
question as follows”: — 
TABLE 107A.—NON-LITERATE STOCKS IN 49 CENSUS DIVISIONS OF THE PRAIRIE 
PROVINCES. 
Population 10 years and over.......... 
Number illiterate................... 
Percentage illiterate... 
Ttems 
Er eee. beeper eee 
Non literate| 
stocks 
253,386 
67,127 
CB 
All 
classes 
1,431,974 
7¢'35¢ 
All classes 
| except non- 
literate 
stocks 
1.177 588 
272 
79 
“The non-literate stocks enumerated above represented only 8 different origins. If several 
other origins designated ‘various’ and including certain Asiatics, ete., had been included 
among the non-literate group it would seem that the illiteracy of the rest of the population 
was negligible.” 
As a result of the above analysis the following conclusions were reached in connection 
with the relationship of origin and illiteracy. “The element of origin would seem to be 
the largest factor in illiteracy in Canada. The percentage of illiterates among the people 
of Canada is raised from one per cent to five per cent by stocks other than British. Some 
deductions have to be made on the score of favourable distribution (urban, ete.) but the 
‘origin’ element in illiteracy remains paramount.” 
Illiteracy as affected by Birthplace —The following summary statement is presented as 
representing the findings of the same report on the relationship of birthplace and illiteracy : 
“The element of nativity, although somewhat involved with that of origin, has an 
independent bearing upon illiteracy. The foreign born of*the same origin at the same age 
and in the same locality are considerably more illiterate (with certain exceptions) than the 
native born, while pemsons born in other parts of the Empire are less illiterate than the 
native born. Further, the nativity of the parents has an independent bearing upon illiteracy, 
the least illiterate being persons with one parent Canadian, the other British. The effects 
of nativity are particularly noticeable in the case of females.” 
Illiteracy and Rural and Urban Distribution—In this connection the following quotation 
ie taken from the report: “The element of rumal and urban residence is found on close 
analysis to be much less important than appears from the crude figures. The diferentiation 
between the percentage of illiterates among the rural and urban populations is partly due 
to favourable nativity distribution in urban centres, especially of foreign born females; 
partly to favourable ‘origin’ distribution, and somewhat, but very little, to sex distribution. 
Age distribution is slightly in favour of rural centres, but this is perhaps more than counter- 
balanced by the fact that inerease in the proportion of children of school age to the rest of