Twenty-four countries were ranked on their academic abilities in a report released last week by the United Nations Children’s Fund. South Korea displayed the highest scores with Japan placing in a close second. The U.S. placed 18th.
Surveys were conducted in the area of literacy and the application of essential mathematics and science skills to test a number of 14 and 15-year-olds in these countries. These results were combined with studies conducted in previous years testing the same three areas as well as adult literacy.
“It is based not on the conventional yardstick of how many students reach what level of education, but on testing what pupils actually know and what they are able to do,” UNICEF said.
University of Wisconsin Faculty Associate Alice Udvari-Solner said she questions all standardized testing and believes multiple-choice exams, in particular, are an inaccurate way of measuring one’s intelligence and knowledge.
UW political science professor Michael Barnett agreed saying that standardized tests are always controversial.
According to Udvari-Solner, one needs to look at the population from which the sample was drawn from as well as all of the elements of effective research.
“It is important to assess how valid the information is,” Udvari-Solner said.
The surveys given to these teenagers were reviewed and then used to rank 24 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD consists of 30 members who account for the majority of the world’s wealth.
According to the report, in all countries under review, a strong predictor of a child’s success or failure at school is the economic and occupational status of the child’s parent.
“The big picture shows that some OECD countries are consistently performing better than others when it comes to educating and equipping their young people for life in the 21st century,” the report said.
Finland, Canada and Australia filled the rest of the top five slots. Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal all fell into the lowest slots of the ranking.
Overall, teenagers in Europe were behind in both reading and mathematics. The United States finished relatively low in each test given and in adult literacy.
In 2001, the results of similar tests were released individually, however, this study averaged the findings of the surveys. According to UNICEF, this average gave the most comprehensive picture to date of how well each nation’s education system is functioning as a whole.
However, UW professor Jeffery P. Braden said he believes the tests given are an indicator of academic success, but as a whole are not completely accurate.
“It is entirely possible that other countries have better educational systems than we do,” Braden said.
He also said there could be a relatively stronger emphasis on math and science in other countries. Other countries could also have better-developed statements with national curriculum being that the United States does not have this type of regulation.
However, Braden said the U.S. is slowly getting to where these other countries are by edging towards a national curriculum.
“After this change it would be possible and probably likely for the United States to rank higher,” Braden said.
