The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development issued their 2005 Education at a Glance Report and the outlook for the United States is bleak. Some lowlights include:
1. The rate of completion of secondary education among 25 to 34 year olds was 85%, placing the U.S. 9th in the world.
2. Student performance on the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) problem solving test placed the United States tied for 23rd place with Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
3. In the mathematics section of the PISA, the U.S. tied for 21st with Poland, Hungary, and Spain.
The schools need more money to compete, right?
4. The United States has the second highest per pupil expenditure in the world, $11,152 (Switzerland had the highest). OECD counties as a whole spend $7,343 per pupil.
Is it the teachers?
5. Teaching hours in U.S. public primary schools averaged 1,139 hours, compared to an average 795 hours for other OECD countries. This is a consistent trend throughout secondary school, even when compared to counties that have a longer school year than the U.S.
Who comes out on top?
6. The usual suspects – Finland, Korea, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, and Belgium.
