subliteracy

noun

sub·​lit·​er·​a·​cy ˌsəb-ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē 

: the condition of being subliterate : the quality or state of being able to read or write only at a low level

… carried a lot of unprepared kids into universities and community colleges, where we instructors were shocked and appalled by their subliteracy. Little did we know that teachers have for centuries expressed the same despair about their students, including us.

—Crawford Kilian

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above