The Live Wire



Press Release

PISA 2009 survey

7 December 2010

Commenting on the findings of the PISA 2009 survey, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said;

“While the snapshot picture shows that there has been no overall change in trends to the UK compared with other countries, there are some very clear messages for the coalition Government in this report. If we are to see educational standards rising across the board the Government needs to stop this continual obsession with structural changes and concentrate on improving teachers’ lives in the classroom with sufficient support and training.

“The report puts yet another nail in the coffin of the Academies and Free Schools programme by quite clearly stating that the schools which achieve the best learning outcomes for all pupils are in fact comprehensive schools, and they cannot find any performance advantage in those that are not.

“There is also a warning in the report for any changes to 14 – 19 education which divides 15 year olds on their abilities. For the Government to pursue such a policy would be misguided and wrong. As the study shows, this does not lead to any benefits for pupils, and will simply be yet another educational barrier for pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

“It is interesting to see that, after allowing for home backgrounds, private and state schools achieve similar results. This is a tribute to the hard work of teachers and pupils and goes some way to dispelling the myth that state education is inferior in any way.

“PISA is right to point out that it would be detrimental to the UK economy if spending on education is not maintained. The UK cannot afford to ease up in its commitment to education funding across all sectors, to do so will result in the UK being massively disadvantaged when it comes to the level of skills and knowledge needed to compete at a global level. This is a message that the Government needs to listen to the most”.



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National Union of Teachers

National Union of Teachers

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