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French children better educated that UK children.


Quillan

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But both are doing poorly compared to other countries according to the latest OECD report. Lots about this on the news tonight and of course in the UK and French newspapers. I won't bother giving a link to the BBC and various newspapers as they will all have a political bias so the link below is to the source i.e. the original OECD report.

http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results.htm

 

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No Q.

This not about the superiority of one educational system over another. If anything, it is a testament to the laziness of journalists and the intellectual limitations of politicians.

The PISA test measures things which are easy to measure, which, for the main part are skills. Education is more than just skill training, it is - or should be - equally concerned with developing creativity.

A few weeks ago I heard a discussion in which an academic was asked about the UK's comparatively poor performance in tests such as PISA. His response was that the Asian countries, with which we are apparently inferior, are in awe of our ability to win Nobel prizes. He cited the very large number of patents lodged from British sources compared with those from the Asian countries. The Asian countries wish that they could develop educational systems which develop creativity. Their children spend so much time in class and then at the crammer that we would consider it to be child cruelty.

I think that PISA should be examined in context. It is an interesting, but not hugely important, comparative excercise which provides inadequate (and ill-educated) politicians with a further set of ammunition with which to denigrate each other. PISA does little more than reinforce the managerialism attitudes (concerned with structures and targets and control) which infect the brains of politicians
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[quote user="Chancer"]I do hope that you are joking and that British teenagers proficiency with Twatter is despite their education and not because of it.[/quote]

No idea. All I know is that the ones I know (some of whom are meant to be "gifted" and go to some very expensive schools) seem to spend a great deal of time on it. Must be worthwhile: didn't Twitter just float for many billions? Of course access to mobile phones is much cheaper in the UK, which must help. Perhaps the French government should consider subsidising them for kiddies in the interest of furthering their progress in the ever more competitive modern world.

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I'd really be interested to know how children from South Africa rank on those league tables.

I have been listening to some of the interviews held on TV on Nelson Mandela's death and the young people and children who spoke impressed me so much with their thoughtful and articulate replies that I have an enormous hope that the country can only go from strength to strength.

Would be good if I am right in predicting a very good future for South Africa.

As for Mandiba, he lived and touched millions so no need to talk about his legacy and, in any case, it's too soon, and I am too sad, to comment.

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