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Borat cultural learnings make better than in UK
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent09.12.08
ENGLAND has been beaten by Kazakhstan in a new international league table for education.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said England was climbing the world rankings for maths and science results.
But the study found 10-year-olds in the land made famous by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat were better at maths than English pupils.
Critics said Kazakhstan's success showed the "joke's on us".
Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "Parents will be worried that our maths performance is behind that of Kazakhstan.
"It hardly gives confidence that we will compete in the hard subjects that count when countries with all Kazakhstan's disadvantages are outstripping ours."
Dr Tony Gardner, director of the UK Mathematics Foundation, said pupils were being put off the subject by an endless diet of tests.
He criticised the numeracy strategy in primary schools for failing to teach general maths skills.
He said: "Secondary school pupils can only do what is on the test these days, which is frightening."
The findings came in a major report by Boston College in the US, conducted across the world every four years.
Mr Balls welcomed the report, and said Britain's teenagers were "leading Europe" in maths and science.
Education experts voiced caution over the findings.
Professor Alan Smithers, from Buckingham University, said countries such as Finland and Canada were not included in the latest rankings.
Reader views (7)
Scrapping history and geography Labour? Wrapping English into IT lessons?
Soon pupils will not know where they are or where they came from or how to speak English - that 'adds' up.
More of Labours artificial social engineering. When is the election?
Where's my PC, need to spell check 'inn'it!
- Frank, Home Counties, England
With so many nationalities 'living' here and the majority from the poorest countries on the planet,what decent education system can we possibly offer?
I find it quite funny myself as I don't give two hoots for this country anyway,it's dead in the water.
- Eddie, London
I ran a workshop in Kazakhstan in 2003 at the Soros Centre, Almaty, the participants were highly educated, industrious, imaginative and great fun so this comes as no surprise. Time we stopped being so smug about our achievements/cautious about other peoples' talents and recognised there is a multi-talented, multicultural world out there.
- Anna, London
What has Borat got to do with this story? Either it is a silly fiction or it is true. tell us - as we need to know
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Big surprise! - and that's BEFORE this brilliant government decided to scrap history and geography as a required subject.
- Nick (Expat), Hong Kong
Are the education 'experts' the same people who still deny standards in state schools are dire and undermining the future of the UK?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
Mr Balls welcomed the report, and said Britain's teenagers were "leading Europe" in maths and science.
IF thats true and with Nu Liebour it's HUGE if. Then Europe must be in an awful state. Only a return to solid proven 1950's teaching methods can rescue the UK now. Let's make a start by voting out the Numpties eh?
I resisted the obvious 'well thats a load of (insert Ministers surname)'
- Rusty Shackleford, UK
