Teachers - you couldn't make it up ...

[balge]

Asia tops biggest global school rankings - BBC News

Gosh, how did that happen (again)?

 

[renault12ts]

Who knows...just glad I went to school in Ireland!

 

[markjay]

'The OECD economic think tank says the comparisons - based on test scores in 76 countries - show the link between education and economic growth.'

Based on test scores, the UK will always get low ranking.

We have free and mandatory education. So everyone attends school until they are 18.

I suspect that in most Asian countries only the very wealthy or very bright get to attend school all the way though until they are 18?

We would have in our UK schools students who would not have been in education if they lived in most of the Asian countries.

 

[Dryce]

We would have in our UK schools students who would not have been in education if they lived in most of the Asian countries.

South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan don't fit your stereotype.

And guess where they are in the rankings.

(There are other SE Asian countries ranked below the UK.)

 

[markjay]

South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan don't fit your stereotype....

I what way?

As far I am aware none of them have 12 years compulsary education (with the exception of Taiwan who introduced it this year).

 

[Dryce]

I what way?

As far I am aware none of them have 12 years compulsary education (with the exception of Taiwan who introduced it this year).

The % of kids going to school is very very high without compulsion.

There are differences in the systems in different countries - but I'd disagree with your assessment that its down to the % and demographics of those in the schools as the levels of attendance are so high.

There are other notable countries that sit below the UK ranking. (eg. Malaysia and Indonesia).

I didn't refer to Vietnam because I have little knowledge of it.

 

[markjay]

I am not suggesting that those Asians kids are not smarter than us... they may very well be.

What I am saying that a comparative survey based on test results will always favour countries that do not have compusary education for obvious reasons.

The fact that school attendance is very high purely on merit in countries that do not have compusary education suggests to me that it is not the schools' performance that drives the high score, but the students own ability.

The way I read these results, is that the top ranking Asian countries have harder working and better-peforming students, but not necessarily better schools.

For a school to be 'better' it needs to work with the entire range of students, not simply admit only high achievers.

 

[Dryce]

For a school to be 'better' it needs to work with the entire range of students, not simply admit only high achievers.

I'm disagreeing on this as an explanation because I don't think this is the actual cause of the effect in the top ranking countries above the UK

I suspect the situation you propose regarding selection is probably more likely to be prevalent in lower ranked countries.

But to be fair I'm not offering any alternative hypothesis as to the UK's ranking relative to other countries - while rejecting the one on offer.

 

[balge]

'The OECD economic think tank says the comparisons - based on test scores in 76 countries - show the link between education and economic growth.'
Based on test scores, the UK will always get low ranking.
We have free and mandatory education. So everyone attends school until they are 18.
I suspect that in most Asian countries only the very wealthy or very bright get to attend school all the way though until they are 18?
We would have in our UK schools students who would not have been in education if they lived in most of the Asian countries.

It says - twice - that the tests were performed at age 15, so that is utterly irrelevant.

Also we do not have compulsory education to age 18 you can be out of education at 16 in this country

https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school