OECD report on literacy and numeracy

[Reg Smeeton]

So this report is pretty damning about the younger generation in England which is moving into adulthood. We've a few on here currently involved in the Education system, like OF, JFW, Sippo and a few others...also some from that age cohort. Where is it going so wrong?

"England is the only country in the developed world where the generation approaching retirement is more literate and numerate than the youngest adults, according to the first skills survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

In a stark assessment of the success and failure of the 720-million-strong adult workforce across the wealthier economies, the economic thinktank warns that in England, adults aged 55 to 65 perform better than 16- to 24-year-olds at foundation levels of literacy and numeracy. The survey did not include people from Scotland or Wales.

The OECD study also finds that a quarter of adults in England have the maths skills of a 10-year-old. About 8.5 million adults, 24.1% of the population, have such basic levels of numeracy that they can manage only one-step tasks in arithmetic, sorting numbers or reading graphs. This is worse than the average in the developed world, where an average of 19% of people were found to have a similarly poor skill base. "

[Bob's Orange]

I'm shite at maths, probably worse than a 10 year old to be fair.

[No Longer Posh Red]

I'm shite at maths, probably worse than a 10 year old to be fair.

Maybe, but take away their calculators/ipads/phones/laptops and they struggle to add up let alone do long division.

As for literacy, I'm not sure text speak counts

[joteddyred]

I think the problem starts in primary school.  At my kid's school it feels like they don't spend enough time teaching the basics before moving onto the more complex stuff.  That's fine for those who are bright, but for those who find it more difficult it becomes a struggle to keep up, because they haven't grasped the basics.  Subsequently they fall further and further behind and by the time they get to secondary school, it's harder to pull them to where they need to be.  I didn't do any 'real' exams until I was 15. Now they do SATS and god knows how many assessments from age 7. It creates far too much pressure on young kids, particularly those who are struggling already. 

[Jamiesfuturewife]

I agree with Jotteddyred to an extent, it's too late once they have gone to secondary school. I think it's the children that are average at things that I think miss out the most as people that are very behind get extra help through the SEN system and the very bright get gifted & talented.

There are a certain amount of children that don't have a will to learn and uninterested parents who give no support - a few children have the opinion they are going to be "famous" so don't need to learn

[Simon Pieman]

There's plenty of opportunity to improve literacy and numeracy after the age of 16.

[Honkytonk]

Of course older people are better than younger people at maths and reading, they've been doing it for longer.

[Cookie]

If you spend some time listening to 16 year olds talk it's pretty obvious they're all idiots. Open up the mines again and send them down there so at least we'll get some cheap electricity out of the retards. 

The good news is less competition in the job market for me although we could see an influx of the more talented young adults from the rest of Europe. Reg should have plenty of eastern europeans to stalk for some time to come.

[Peter Venkman]

There's plenty of opportunity to improve literacy and numeracy after the age of 16.

My dad (God rest his soul) left school at 14 barely being able to read or write and joined the army at 16 where they taught him basic literacy and he went on to take a get a degree.

Its entirely down to the individuals wanting to better themselves.

[jayohaitchenn]

My dad (God rest his sole) left school at 14 barely being able to read or write and joined the army at 16 where they taught him basic literacy and he went on to take a get a degree.

Its entirely down to the individuals wanting to better themselves.

*soul.

[Only Me]

Of course older people are better than younger people at maths and reading, they've been doing it for longer.

A lot if older folk have also forgotten loads

[Baggins]

If you spend some time listening to 16 year olds talk it's pretty obvious they're all idiots. Open up the mines again and send them down there so at least we'll get some cheap electricity out of the retards. 

The good news is less competition in the job market for me although we could see an influx of the more talented young adults from the rest of Europe. Reg should have plenty of eastern europeans to stalk for some time to come.

They're not all idiots.  There are many, many intelligent and eloquent young people in the country.  If their literacy and numeracy standards are dropping, should the finger not be pointed at the generations above them?  Isn't our responsibility to educate them, and as such, have we not let them down?

Easy to write them off as "retards" - but wholly unfair, inaccurate and lazy.