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

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.