Is it the screens? Or education systems?
The Dark Ages implies television and phones are the main cause of cognitive decline. This fails to explain the patterns in PISA scores. Why did England and Scotland fall so precipitously from 2000 to 2005 whilst America improved? Why did England and Estonia hold steady after 2015 whilst most other OECD countries declined? How have Singapore, […] The post Is it the screens? Or education systems?…
The idea that television and mobile phones are primarily responsible for cognitive decline is misguided, as it fails to account for the observed patterns in PISA scores. For example, England and Scotland experienced a sharp decline from 2000 to 2005, while America showed improvement during the same period. Additionally, England and Estonia maintained relatively stable scores after 2015, while many other OECD countries saw a decline.
The success of Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan in avoiding cognitive decline altogether can be attributed to their rigorous education systems and intensive tutoring cultures. East Asian PISA and IQ scores have likely remained constant, or even increased, due to these factors.
Estonia and England are two European countries that have managed to avoid the PISA malaise. These nations have adopted more rigorous education systems, incorporating knowledge-rich curricula, direct instruction, and systematic phonics. These teaching techniques were largely abandoned by more progressive neighbors between 1975 and 1990. A deeper dive into the subject can be found in Alexander Thompson's work, which is highly recommended.
Written by urgent.news from Marginal Revolution's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
