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The reading skills of English students now lag a year and behalf behind that of students in China! There is now a stark gulf between the ability of 15-year-olds here and those from other leading countries. This information has emerged after an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development study showing English teens are now 18 months behind Chinese students of the same age and one year behind students from South Korea and Finland. English teens also languish at least six months behind their counterparts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. The analysis underlines the scale of improvements needed to put English teens on a parity in reading with teens from, for example, Shanghai. In reading standards of teens, we have gone from seventh to 25th in the world. But it's not just reading where we now fall behind. England has fallen from eighth to 28th in maths and from fourth to 16th in science. This information comes from a damning survey by the OECD, which shows that England has fallen in the international league tables over the past nine years. In reading, 20 countries scored significantly higher than England, with China top. England was also out-scored by Estonia, Iceland, Denmark and Slovenia. In science, China again leads the rankings. Estonia and Australia are among the nine other countries significantly ahead of England's 15-year-olds. Figures have revealed at present just 55 per cent of state school pupils in England get at least five A* to C grades at GCSE – including English and mathematics. For England to rise back to the top of the international tables this would need to increase to 77 per cent. The English Democrats think it is a disgrace that successive Conservative and Labour governments have allowed such a slump to occur in educational standards. With education, as with other public services, there is a need to constantly improve standards – instead the opposite has happened. England's prosperity is not based on natural resources but on the skills and enterprise of her people. Our well-being is bound up with the quality of education and training. Education is an expensive investment but ignorance is even more costly, in personal, economic and social terms. A substantial proportion of the funds released to England from the ending of the Barnett formula should be used to reduce class sizes, increase teachers pay, and improve buildings and equipment. It's time England spent money on the English – and Education should be one of the very first priorities.
 Comments (2)Subscribe to this comment's feedShow/hide comments Education is not a luxury, it's a necessity.
Education should be a priority. Our country's future depends on it. The standard of education in England has been on a downward spiral since the introduction of the comprehensive system. As with most things there is no such thing as "a one size fits all." Especially education. "If it aint broke don't fix it," goes the saying. But fix it they did, and the result is disastrous, as the article above quite clearly illustrates.
It is imperative that this scandalous state of affairs is tackled in a robust manner for the sake of our children and our country.
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October 12, 2011
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Education Standards in England Plummet
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I am from a past generation and I remember when we CARED!
Greed will destroy us. It is already doing so.
In China, the kids have hope and they care.
I hate to sound political. I am not... But example starts at the top.
Teachers, parents and our betters. Give our kids hope.
Explain to THEM that the future of our cointry depends on them as well as us.
It isn't too late.
Use everything available. T.V. Playstation games, Computers.
Don' put our kids down. They need to think that there is a future. THEY ARE THE FUTURE!
In China the kids know it and they have what we have lost.
Don't chuck more money in... Chuck in hope and support. We have gone soft and we have become freedy.
US All of us! You people at the top. Are you listening?