5th December, 2007

Computers and the slump of reading standards

An article in the "Independent" stated that British children have plummeted in an international league table of reading skills. Middle-class parents have been blamed for failing to encourage a love of books over computer games.  Primary-school children in England fell from third to 15th in the study of 45 countries, recording the third highest drop behind Romania and Morocco over the past five years. Scotland fell 12 places compared to 2001, slumping to 26th.  England and Scotland, however, were not alone in recording a dramatic slide in fortunes. Sweden and the Netherlands, first and second respectively in the 2001 findings, also fell sharply though not as far as the two home nations surveyed. Wales and Northern Ireland were not covered by the research.

http://news.independent.co.uk/education/education_news/article3204070.ece