England’s young people near the bottom of the basic skills global league table

By: Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Policy Leader

Wednesday 09 October 2013

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Influential think tank the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the results of its recent skills survey of adults in the wealthier economies of the world… and the outcome for England gives cause for concern.

The survey warns that in England, adults aged 55 to 65 perform better than 16 to 24 year olds at foundation levels of literacy and numeracy (it’s the only country in the developed world where the generation approaching retirement is more literate and numerate than the youngest adults). Out of the 24 nations surveyed, young adults in England rank 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy.

The political fallout from the survey has already begun, with Skills and Enterprise minister Matthew Hancock stating that it underlines the need for reform and rigour in the skills sector.

We can expect a renewed focus on English and Maths across all provision. Bearing this in mind, NCFE is preparing to launch a range of over 100 flexible Maths and English qualifications, allowing organisations to tailor learning programmes to meet their learners’ individual needs.

So what do these results mean for the future of education? How can we improve literacy and numeracy levels in the UK? Which countries can we learn from? What changes do we need to make?

Tags:

skills gap

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader
96 posts
David Grailey

Chief Executive
79 posts
Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Policy Leader
75 posts
Esme Winch

Managing Director
35 posts
Michael Lemin

Policy and Research Manager
25 posts

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