Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Education Worldwide

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 12/01/13

The conversation about a global economy and global competition is not a new one. According to the latest reports by the The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “In a global economy, the benchmark for educational success is no longer improvement by national standards alone, but the best performing school systems internationally.” On December 3, 2013, the results of The OECD’s latest PISA survey were released. PISA is unique because it develops tests that are not directly linked to the school curriculum. The tests are designed to assess to what extent students, at the end of compulsory education, can apply their knowledge to real-life situations and be equipped for full participation in society. The 2012 survey tested more than 510,000 students in 65 countries and economies on math, reading and science.

The results of the survey “show striking changes in the world’s talent.” Asian students outperformed the rest of the world. Shanghai, China and Singapore were top in maths, with students in Shanghai scoring the equivalent of nearly three years of schooling above most OECD countries. Hong Kong, China; Chinese Taipei; Korea; Macao, China; Japan; Liechtenstein; Switzerland and the Netherlands were also in the group of top-performing countries.

There were similarities leading to success. High-performing countries, school systems and students:

  • Consistently say that achievement is mainly a product of hard work, rather than inherited intelligence.
  • Embrace diversity among students with differentiated instructional practices.
  • Put a special emphasis on teacher selection processes, training, incentives and pathways for career growth, and the development of innovative approaches to teaching.
  • Deliver high quality across the entire school system, from the earliest years to the first steps in professional life.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría states, “In a global economy, competitiveness and future job prospects will depend on what people can do with what they know. Young people are the future, so every country must do everything it can to improve its education system and the prospects of future generations.”

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management December 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Wenger Names New Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts, Controls

    Wenger Corporation, which provides products and solutions for music and theater education, performing arts and athletic storage, recently announced the hiring of a new Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts and Controls.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.