Best Practice

The misuse of international studies in UK education

Government policy
The misuse and oversimplification of international surveys and comparisons can lead to misleading statements being made about English education. Dr Newman Burdett looks at how we should be interpreting international data.

“The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) figures show that the standard of education offered to young people in this country declined relative to our international competitors. Literacy, down; numeracy, down; science, down: fail, fail, fail.” Education secretary Michael Gove, (February 7, 2011)

“Increasing the social mix in schools is the way to close performance gaps. Ministers should return to comprehensive ideals if they are serious about concern for the poor – and Britain’s global ranking. The results from the latest of the influential surveys in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and PISA makes this abundantly clear and is chilling reading.” The Guardian (April 19, 2012)

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