UK schools above average

[Harryprice]

Some good news about education, at last.

[skbuncks]

I think you forgot to use your sarcasm smilie.

skb

[Tony Williams]

I know why our schools are performing badly - it's because in every test given, half of the pupils score less than the average mark!

(This was apparently actually said by a Lancashre councillor many years ago).

(Which reminds me of another councillor story concerning Aberystwyth, in a debate about the expansion of the university: "The university is like an octopus," this worthy thundered, "spreading its testicles through the town!". Many a true word...)

[bindeweede]

This also from the BBC doesn't mention the UK at all.

Other than Finland, seven European countries performed significantly better in literacy than the OECD average: Belgium, Estonia, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Switzerland.

Among those performing significantly worse than average were Italy, Spain, Austria and Greece.

The worst-performing European state was Azerbaijan, coming second-last to Kyrgyzstan, while Russia lay in 43rd place, two places behind Turkey but ahead of Serbia.

Since when has Azerbaijan been part of Europe? I must be missing something.

[No comments, thank you]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11939566

Ah, wrong again. Apparently Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan ARE considered part of Europe, whereas mainland Turkey isn't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe

[skbuncks]

Given that exam passes have risen year on year but our score on these OECD tests has stayed roughly the same can we take this as evidence that exams are getting easier?

skb

[Tony Williams]

Given that exam passes have risen year on year but our score on these OECD tests has stayed roughly the same can we take this as evidence that exams are getting easier?

Or possibly that the introduction of school league tables has led to teaching becoming more focused on getting the pupils through the exams, rather than educating them in the broader sense.

[Matt]

Given that exam passes have risen year on year but our score on these OECD tests has stayed roughly the same can we take this as evidence that exams are getting easier?

skb

Or that targets driven education with a narrow focus on exam results does not result in well rounded students.

[skbuncks]

Or possibly that the introduction of school league tables has led to teaching becoming more focused on getting the pupils through the exams, rather than educating them in the broader sense.

Or that targets driven education with a narrow focus on exam results does not result in well rounded students.

How much, if any, of the material in the OECD tests outside the scope of that covered in the GCSE syllabus?

skb

ETA a useful link: http://www.oecd.org/document/44/0,33..._1_1_1,00.html

[skbuncks]

Sample questions from the tests

skb

[Matt]

How much, if any, of the material in the OECD tests outside the scope of that covered in the GCSE syllabus?

skb

ETA a useful link: http://www.oecd.org/document/44/0,33..._1_1_1,00.html

More to the point, how does the structure of the exam differ from those for which our students are coached.

[Viking]

Admittedly I'm out of touch with what and how pupils are taught in schools nowadays but I am struck above all by the fact that a huge percentage of them earn the qualifications to enable them to go to university. This didn't used to be the case. Only one or two went to university from my class at school. Don't tell me more kids are suddenly being born cleverer.
No, standards have dropped dramatically. The amount of multiple choice questions is only one factor but an important one. Good guesses can elevate the final grade substantially.
As a result, this final grade would not necessarily represent the amount of knowledge a pupil possesses.As far as the teaching of English is concerned, the situation is much worse and has been for quite a long time.We were simply not allowed to teach grammar. In fact the red pens were rarely used as a means of imparting knowledge. The emphasis was on making the pupils feel good about themselves no matter what their achievements-or lack of them-really were. This is dishonest and leads to an unrealistic assessment of a pupil's true abilities. The results are a lowering of standards and a higher percentage of passes---which mean very little.The changes in education of recent years are leading to a generation of youngsters who have been cheated. Those responsible should be ashamed.

[Matt]

Don't tell me more kids are suddenly being born cleverer.

OK I won't tell you that. However James R Flynn will tell you something about IQ scores which imperfect as they are, are all we have as a measure of the nebulous quality we call intelligence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

[Viking]

Hello, Matt. I wasn't talking about intelligence. I was referring to the process of learning--
education--which is different from intelligence isn't it?

[Tony Williams]

Admittedly I'm out of touch with what and how pupils are taught in schools nowadays but I am struck above all by the fact that a huge percentage of them earn the qualifications to enable them to go to university. This didn't used to be the case. Only one or two went to university from my class at school. Don't tell me more kids are suddenly being born cleverer.

No, the reason that more people are going to university is simply that the number of places available have been dramatically increased - by about four-fold since I was a student. Inevitably, this means that average A-level grade requirements have had to be dropped to fill those places, especially at the less prestigious universities. Whichn is a different issue from whether or not specific A-level grades are easier to obtain (although I have the impression that they are).

[Viking]

Haven't the number of places been increased because standards have dropped resulting in more student places being required?