3 things you (probably) didn’t know about Finland
Every couple of years, the OECD publish a report from their Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Their findings are (very helpfully) compiled into league tables, charting the performance of each of the participating countries in maths, literacy and application of scientific knowledge. These tables are then used to fuel media stories like this one, which […]
Read MoreAre the smartest kids also the saddest?
Late last year, the OECD published the latest of their PISA tables. Predictably, many went into meltdown, whether it was due to their country’s position on the table, their respective government’s reaction to the results or those who detest standardised testing. But as this article shows, the tests are not all about numeracy and literacy. […]
Read MoreIs Pyne Taking the PISA?
Yesterday the OECD released the 2012 results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). You’ve heard of the “Education Race?” Well this is the Education World Cup. As Angel Gurria, the OECD General Secretary puts it, PISA has become the world’s premier yardstick for evaluating the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems. Unlike […]
Read More“Class Size” debate just got farcical…
A couple of weeks back I blogged about the Class Size Myth. I made two simple points. A smaller class size in and of itself does nothing to enhance student learning. A poor lesson infront of 40 kids will still be a poor lesson in front of 20. But, in order to implement the proven strategies […]
Read MoreEducational Roulette – Mind the Gap
I stumbled upon this infographic this week. I’ve edited it to suit the layout of my blog. It shows the inequities in educational outcomes between groups of higher and lower socioeconomic standing, across a number of countries. In short, your educational achievement can be predicted at birth based on little more than your parents’ bank […]
Read MoreHow Australia Can Win The Education Race
As part of the Australian Government’s response to the Gonski Report, this week Julia Gillard will announce she wants to see Australia ranked in the Top 5 of educational systems by the year 2025. By pure chance I’ve written my top tips to ensure we improve education standards. You can read a less Aussie-centric tip […]
Read MoreWhat the League Tables DON’T Tell You
In the last couple of weeks, much has been made of the fact that Australia is falling behind its Asian neighbours in terms of educational outcomes for its students. The recently published Grattan Report stated that, “In Shanghai, the average 15-year old mathematics student is performing at a level two to three years above his or her counterpart […]
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