Why Finnish pupils are top of the European game

The OECD's PISA 2009 Results, issued in December 2010, presents the findings from the most recent PISA survey, which focused on reading and also assessed mathematics and science performance.

Korea and Finland top the OECD’s latest PISA survey of reading literacy among 15-year olds. Asia-Pacific economies made up six of the leading education systems, thanks to strong performances from Hong Kong-China, Singapore, New Zealand and Japan. Canada was the only other country outside Asia to score highly.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Boost for Portugal as education standards rise http://www.europeansources.info/record/boost-for-portugal-as-education-standards-rise/

Helsingin Sanomat, 8.12.10: New PISA study puts schoolchildren in Shanghai and South Korea ahead of Finnish kids in reading skills http://newsroom.finland.fi/Public/default.aspx

BBC News, 7.12.10: Pisa literacy survey: Finland loses top spot to Asians http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11939566

OECD: Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) http://www.pisa.oecd.org/

OECD: PISA 2009 Results http://www.pisa.oecd.org/document/61/0,3343,en_32252351_32235731_46567613_1_1_1_1,00.html

OECD: Press Release, 7.12.10: Education: Korea and Finland top OECD’s latest PISA survey of education performance http://euobserver.com/881/31458

Deutsche Welle, 7.12.10: Germany's schools improve their grades modestly in global league tables http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6302086,00.html

Aamulehti, 8.12.10: Even Finland has dunces (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/420971-even-finland-has-dunces

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