Does " the spike in literacy" refer to "the sharp rising in education"?

A spike in literacy is a large increase of the number of people able to read.

Cool.
That is exactly what I got and failed to express with proper language.
Thank you.

I could be splitting hairs, but a spike doesn't have to be large. The nuance is more that it is sudden.

a. A sharp rise followed by a sharp decline in a graph or in the tracing of a scientific instrument.
b. A sharp momentary increase in voltage or electric current.
c. A sudden steep increase in prices.

To manifest or undergo a sudden increase followed by a sharp decrease: Traffic to the website spiked after the scandal broke.

Excellent.