A typical 15-year-old now reads no better than a 14-year-old did a decade ago
Plunging test scores are a slow-moving catastrophe
The latest PISA results, released on September 8th, are the worst since the OECD tests began in 2000. Covid-19 lockdowns no longer explain the decline: the pandemic is over, yet scores keep falling at roughly the same pace. In 35 rich countries, a typical 15-year-old reads no better than a 14-year-old did ten years ago. The Economist argues schools must act now.
Machines are getting brighter. Teens are getting dimmer. Schools must act now.