Re: Govt to remove minimum educational qualification requirement for Driving Licence Let me give you a somewhat different perspective.
There is very little research available showing the effects between educational qualifications (including illiteracy) and driver safety. I have come across a few attempts across the world, but in general there is very little concrete data and facts to come to any conclusions.
But for instance, the USA to date has well over 30 million people who can not read and or lack (almost all) any and all formal education. Still, most of them would be holding a driving license.
If I take my home country the Netherlands, the policy is to try and ensure as many people as possible can obtain a drivers license. Even when you have physical and or other limitations the relevant authorities will ensure you will be helped / supported.
My son is autistic and dyslexic. There is a special driving curriculum, which includes training and a special exam available for him.
People with little education and or physical/mental limitations often find themselves left out in society at large. Personally, I think as a nation, you need find ways to ensure people who are already at a disadvantage are supported, not further excluded from society. Being able to hold a driver license is part of that. Obviously, they need to be able to drive safely, but driving safely should not be connected to something arbitrary as educational qualification.
Again, I have not come across factual evidence that educational qualification has any bearing on one’s ability to drive safely. During all my years of travel all over the world I have driven in places where I do not speak the language and subsequently can’t read the traffic signs when it comes to text.
But, hey, any of you travel to any other part of Europe other than the UK and you will find yourself in the exact same position. If you can’t read Danish, you are not going to be able to make sense of some of the signs with Danish text on it.
Then again, most traffic signage is simple to interpret and doesn’t require reading, although the ability to understand numbers (e.g. speed) is a factor, obviously.
Jeroen |