U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEM NO LONGER TOP DOG
From pre-kindergarten through graduate school, the education system in the United States faces tough competition from the rest of the world, a new study found.
The study made public Tuesday by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows other nations are catching up and in many cases have surpassed the United States at many levels, from pre-kindergarten enrollment to the percentage of adults with advanced degrees.
OECD‘s annual ―Education at a Glance‖ report finds, for instance, that 41% of 3-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in pre-kindergarten. Among all OECD countries, the average is 72%.
For 4-year-olds in the United States, the number rises to 66% but still falls below the OECD average of 88%.
Andreas Schleicher, the OECD‘s deputy director for education and skills, said the gap in preschool enrollment – as well as other factors – isn‘t necessarily because things have gotten worse in the U.S.―There has just been enormous progress‖ elsewhere in the world, he said.
The report analyzes the education systems of the 34 OECD member countries, which include most industrialized nations, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Chile Israel, Japan, and most European nations, as well as non-member countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
On average, OECD nations invest about 0.6% of GDP in pre-primary education. Countries such as Norway, Iceland and Finland invest about 1% of GDP in pre-K, while in the USA, it‘s closer to 0.4%, ―at the lower end of the spectrum,‖ Schleicher said.
When it comes to class sizes in K-12 education, the Unites States has larger than average classes in primary grades, but below average in middle school and high school classes. But even that upper-grade advantage, long touted by education advocates, doesn‘t necessarily give U.S. schools an edge, Schleicher said.
U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEM NO LONGER TOP DOG
From pre-kindergarten through graduate school, the education system in the United States faces tough competition from the rest of the world, a new study found.
The study made public Tuesday by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows other nations are catching up and in many cases have surpassed the United States at many levels, from pre-kindergarten enrollment to the percentage of adults with advanced degrees.
OECD‘s annual ―Education at a Glance‖ report finds, for instance, that 41% of 3-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in pre-kindergarten. Among all OECD countries, the average is 72%.
For 4-year-olds in the United States, the number rises to 66% but still falls below the OECD average of 88%.
Andreas Schleicher, the OECD‘s deputy director for education and skills, said the gap in preschool enrollment – as well as other factors – isn‘t necessarily because things have gotten worse in the U.S.―There has just been enormous progress‖ elsewhere in the world, he said.
The report analyzes the education systems of the 34 OECD member countries, which include most industrialized nations, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Chile Israel, Japan, and most European nations, as well as non-member countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
On average, OECD nations invest about 0.6% of GDP in pre-primary education. Countries such as Norway, Iceland and Finland invest about 1% of GDP in pre-K, while in the USA, it‘s closer to 0.4%, ―at the lower end of the spectrum,‖ Schleicher said.
When it comes to class sizes in K-12 education, the Unites States has larger than average classes in primary grades, but below average in middle school and high school classes. But even that upper-grade advantage, long touted by education advocates, doesn‘t necessarily give U.S. schools an edge, Schleicher said.
From pre-kindergarten through graduate school, the education system in the United States faces tough competition from the rest of the world, a new study found.
The study made public Tuesday by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows other nations are catching up and in many cases have surpassed the United States at many levels, from pre-kindergarten enrollment to the percentage of adults with advanced degrees.
OECD‘s annual ―Education at a Glance‖ report finds, for instance, that 41% of 3-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in pre-kindergarten. Among all OECD countries, the average is 72%.
For 4-year-olds in the United States, the number rises to 66% but still falls below the OECD average of 88%.
Andreas Schleicher, the OECD‘s deputy director for education and skills, said the gap in preschool enrollment – as well as other factors – isn‘t necessarily because things have gotten worse in the U.S.―There has just been enormous progress‖ elsewhere in the world, he said.
The report analyzes the education systems of the 34 OECD member countries, which include most industrialized nations, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Chile Israel, Japan, and most European nations, as well as non-member countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
On average, OECD nations invest about 0.6% of GDP in pre-primary education. Countries such as Norway, Iceland and Finland invest about 1% of GDP in pre-K, while in the USA, it‘s closer to 0.4%, ―at the lower end of the spectrum,‖ Schleicher said.
When it comes to class sizes in K-12 education, the Unites States has larger than average classes in primary grades, but below average in middle school and high school classes. But even that upper-grade advantage, long touted by education advocates, doesn‘t necessarily give U.S. schools an edge, Schleicher said.
Похожие вопросы
Не можешь разобраться в этой теме?
Обратись за помощью к экспертам
Гарантированные бесплатные доработки
Быстрое выполнение от 2 часов
Проверка работы на плагиат
Интересные статьи из справочника
Поможем написать учебную работу
Отвечай на вопросы, зарабатывай баллы и трать их на призы.
Подробнее
Подробнее
―The performance (of students) in the U.S. is not necessarily better because of this small advantage,‖ he said. ―It might actually be related to the opposite.‖
In terms of higher education, the United States still leads the way in terms of the percentage of adults with advanced degrees, with 22% holding a master‘s degree or higher. However, other countries are quickly catching up. South Korea, for example, has seen a significant increase in the percentage of adults with advanced degrees, now at 13%.
Overall, the report emphasizes the importance of early education and investing in quality teachers to ensure a strong education system. Schleicher highlighted the importance of providing resources and support for teachers to continue their own learning and professional development.
―Good teachers are at the heart of a good education system,‖ he said. ―And investing in teachers is investing in building a better future for the country.‖
The report serves as a wake-up call for the United States to continue to prioritize education and make necessary investments to keep up with the rest of the world. With rapidly advancing technology and globalization, the competition in education is only going to get tougher. It‘s up to policymakers, educators, and parents to work together to ensure that students in the U.S. have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.