There's no need for a Zoolander School for Kids Who Can’t Read Good in Ireland.
According to a new study, Irish primary school children have the highest reading levels in Europe.
The news was announced by Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton when he launched the 2016 PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) report on Tuesday.
This latest report has shown that Irish primary schools have the strongest reading skills in Europe, with the rate of basic reading having dropped considerably since the last study, which was carried out in 2011.
Pupils with advanced reading skills went up from 16% in 2011 to 21% in 2016. It was also found that the gender gap in Ireland is smaller than that internationally, having shrunk significantly since 2011. Irish pupils also performed well in a new online reading assessment, coming second only to pupils in Singapore, while the Russian Federation had the only pupils that outperformed Ireland in the paper assessment.
PIRLS is organised by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and examines fifty countries over five years, reporting specifically on fourth class pupils. In the 2016 report, Ireland outperformed 48 out of 50 countries by comparison to 2011 when it outdid 40 out of 45.
Commenting on the report, Minister Bruton called the improved results “fantastic” and “encouraging”, before laying out his
plans for education over the next decade, saying
“I have set the ambition to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. There are many aspects to achieving this ambition but few are more important than the ability of our education system to equip our children with exceptional literacy skills.”
“The basic aim of this Government is to sustain our economic progress and use it to build a fair and compassionate society. Ensuring our children are highly literate ensures they are given the best start in life.”
