US adults score below average on worldwide test.

[dipsydoodle]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's long been known that America's school kids haven't measured well compared with international peers. Now, there's a new twist: Adults don't either.

In math, reading and problem-solving using technology - all skills considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength - American adults scored below the international average on a global test, according to results released Tuesday.

Adults in Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland and multiple other countries scored significantly higher than the United States in all three areas on the test. Beyond basic reading and math, respondents were tested on activities such as calculating mileage reimbursement due to a salesman, sorting email and comparing food expiration dates on grocery store tags.

Not only did Americans score poorly compared to many international competitors, the findings reinforced just how large the gap is between the nation's high- and low-skilled workers and how hard it is to move ahead when your parents haven't.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ADULT_LITERACY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-08-05-09-46

Extensive article : read on......................

England's young adults trail world in literacy and maths.

Young adults in England have scored among the lowest results in the industrialised world in international literacy and numeracy tests.

A major study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows how England's 16 to 24-year-olds are falling behind their Asian and European counterparts.

England is 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy out of 24 countries.

The OECD's Andreas Schleicher warned of a shrinking pool of skilled workers.

Unlike other developed countries, the study also showed that young people in England are no better at these tests than older people, in the 55 to 65 age range.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24433320

[pansypoo53219]

1. our entertainments are too good. + consuming.

[Dash87]

10. I don't think entertainment has anything to do with it.

It has more to do with our obsession with defense at all costs from the nonexistent enemy-du-jour, and our gutting of education as a result. This country does not prioritize education - not even close. We don't even prioritize trade skills.

We instead train for mediocre middle managers that know very little about anything. Before that, in schools, our kids are trained to take pointless standardized tests only to forget the information after the test is done because they don't need to retain it. Our education system just sucks.

[chervilant]

2. A correlated irony:

anti-intellectualism (promulgated predominantly by conservatives) is a routine response to those whose IQs measure higher than the norm, or the few who eschew television in favor of reading. And, FSM help the math geeks among us!

Being "smarter" than the person interviewing you is seldom a good thing.

(Oh, and Arne "I play basketball!" Duncan is the LAST person the authors should quote regarding education!)

[longship]

3. But the Kardashians are on TeeVee!

And I have to watch this week's Big Brother episode so that I can see assholes acting like assholes so that I can learn how to become a perfect asshole. Then, I have an appointment with my proctologist.

Then, it's shopping for designer clothes I saw on Price is Right.

Enough said?

[malaise]

4. When basic social good institutions become battlefields for

greed, profit and indoctrination, quality is the first victim

[A Little Weird]

5. Well said! n/t

[Recursion]

6. We've underperformed other countries on tests and wrung our hands about it since the 1950s

During that time we went to the moon, developed the Internet, and invented baconnaise. Wonderful, wonderful, baconnaise.

[Jim__]

7. Here's a link to a 466 page pdf with First Results of the test.

Link

[Orrex]

8. Now maybe those Brits will finally shut up about us "abusing the King's English."

The illiteracy is on the other foot, old chap.

[JNelson6563]

9. lol

Well played!

[CanSocDem]

12. Do whut, now????

[Octafish]

11. More GTA

[Evasporque]

13. But we know Jesus walked with Dinosaurs....nt