Dumbing Down !

PISA stands for " Programme  for International Student Comparison "  and is conducted every three years. It is a valuable guide to show how our education system is performing in comparison with the other countries of the world.  Unfortunately the latest results indicate that Australia has moved down the scale when it comes to  maths, reading and scientific literacy, and the biggest retreat has been in New South Wales.

It should cause alarm that the latest test results shows that Australia trails other world countries except Finland. We are three years behind in maths, a year and three months behind in reading and a year and nine months behind in scientific literacy.  What is even more alarming is comparison with the first PISA test conducted in the early 2000's.  Todays fifteen year olds are a full year behind the standard set at those tests by Australian students.

Clearly, the kids from Asian countries are out performing us and the PISA leaders are Hong Kong, Macau and Japan.  Perhaps it is because the standard of living has improved across Asia that Asian parents take education very seriously.  School achievement is a big issue in Asian households and this is reflected in PISA comparisons.

What is not clear is the reason our education system is falling behind  ?   By Asian standards, our school days are short in comparison and we devote time to sport and physical training.  The use of smartphones and similar electronic devices certainly infringes on time spent reading books and technology today replaces mental activity in solving day to day mathematical problems.  Perhaps we need an upgrade in teaching standards.  Teachers require a university education but it is equally important that they approach that task with the right mental outlook.  The characteristic of a great teacher - is enthusiasm for the task.

It is quite clear that job expectations for the future will evolve into higher learning needs. Already low skill jobs have declined sharply and we are encountering an under supply of qualified people to serve the job opportunities offering.  It is clear that automation will replace many jobs, but that same automation will require skilled people to construct, service and work those machines and it is education that provides the skills to meet that need.

This PISA result is a wakeup call.   Australia is known world wide as the " lucky country " but we also need to be known as the " clever country ".  To meet that achievement we need a more focussed approach to improving our education system.   We need more parent interest in their children's schooling and we need teachers who consider their work as a career and not simply a job.

Put simply, our place as the leading trading nation in south east Asia is at risk if we do not apply more effort to upgrading our education system  !