England's young adults trail world in literacy and maths

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24433320

England's young adults trail world in literacy and maths

Young adults in England have scored among the lowest results in the industrialised world in international literacy and numeracy tests.

A major study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows how England's 16 to 24-year-olds are falling behind their Asian and European counterparts.

England is 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy out of 24 countries.

The OECD's Andreas Schleicher warned of a shrinking pool of skilled workers.

Unlike other developed countries, the study also showed that young people in England are no better at these tests than older people, in the 55 to 65 age range.

When this is weighted with other factors, such as the socio-economic background of people taking the test, it shows that England is the only country in the survey where results are going backwards - with the older cohort better than the younger.

(continued, idiocracy right ahead...)

[Audley Strange]

Can't be right, since all U.K. children pass all their exams with a grade A or above. They are all special little geniuses that are highly motivated, versatile. the best at everything and cannot stop being head-hunted by Corporations, who all moved here because of the kid's talents, which of course made us the economic powerhouse of Europe.

I bet they tricked our kids by using that foreign maths and language.

[Coito ergo sum]

Capitalism.

[Thinking Aloud]

did u c x-factor lst nt ? omg natalies hair!

[Audley Strange]

Capitalism leads to a culture of consumerists too stupid to work the machine. Socialism on the other hand teaches them just enough to think they are too good to work at the machine even if they can't tie their own laces.

[Clinton Huxley]

We were 21st at maths, Merka was 24th so we beat them by...err.....1,2..3! 3 places!

[Coito ergo sum]

As always, the important thing is where you stack up 'gainst Merka.

[PsychoSerenity]

The article is rather misleading as usual.

The actual study shows a marked improvement in results between the 16-24 and 25-34 age groups for the OECD as a whole and the vast majority of counties individually. Either education standards have fallen evenly across the globe over the past decade (unlikely), or the study is picking up on the fact that people continue to learn and improve at higher levels beyond the age of 24. And while certainly education standards in Britain have not improved as much as in many other countries over the past 40 years, the main reason the 16-24 group in Britain is no better that the 55-65 group is that the latter were amongst the highest in the OECD, - and they are still significantly lower than the 25-34 age group who have had the chance of higher education. The suggestion by the fucking Tories that the relatively low score from the youngest group has to do with the previous government's education policy is primarily bollocks.

[cronus]

As always, the important thing is where you stack up 'gainst Merka.

With no one below America's place is safe as houses.

[Coito ergo sum]

As always, the important thing is where you stack up 'gainst Merka.

With no one below America's place is safe as houses.

Yes, yes, I'm sure the OECD's calculations are as accurate as the world healthcare rankings which claimed that Cuba and the Dominican Republic had far superior health care than the United States.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

As always, the important thing is where you stack up 'gainst Merka.

With no one below America's place is safe as houses.

Yes, yes, I'm sure the OECD's calculations are as accurate as the world healthcare rankings which claimed that Cuba and the Dominican Republic had far superior health care than the United States.

They do if you have a pre-existing condition and a low income, I'm sure.

[klr]

Can't be right, since all U.K. children pass all their exams with a grade A or above. They are all special little geniuses that are highly motivated, versatile. the best at everything and cannot stop being head-hunted by Corporations, who all moved here because of the kid's talents, which of course made us the economic powerhouse of Europe.

I bet they tricked our kids by using that foreign maths and language.

Grade inflation ... an absolute curse.

[Audley Strange]

Can't be right, since all U.K. children pass all their exams with a grade A or above. They are all special little geniuses that are highly motivated, versatile. the best at everything and cannot stop being head-hunted by Corporations, who all moved here because of the kid's talents, which of course made us the economic powerhouse of Europe.

I bet they tricked our kids by using that foreign maths and language.

Grade inflation ... an absolute curse.

I was joking, but please, tell me more.

[klr]

Can't be right, since all U.K. children pass all their exams with a grade A or above. They are all special little geniuses that are highly motivated, versatile. the best at everything and cannot stop being head-hunted by Corporations, who all moved here because of the kid's talents, which of course made us the economic powerhouse of Europe.

I bet they tricked our kids by using that foreign maths and language.

Grade inflation ... an absolute curse.

I was joking, but please, tell me more.

Grade inflation is no joke.

A real-world example: My entrance points for university (back in the mid-1980s) were in theory good enough to allow me to apply for Medicine, which has traditionally had the very highest entry requirements for all third-level undergraduate programs. Nowadays, with the same points total, I would have struggled to get into a generic B.Comm. program, which is what I actually did back in the day.

My direct experience with the university system (including access to masses of statistics) suggests to me that grade inflation is just as much a problem at third level.

[laklak]

Fukkin smart ass forriners allus shootin off yer mouf bout how smart y'all is. Betcha cain't even skin out a dang deer nor bait a trout line. Sheeit.