> The findings were equally grim for many European countries — Italy and Spain, among the hardest hit by the recession and debt crisis, ranked at the bottom across generations. Unemployment is well over 25 percent in Spain and over 12 percent in Italy. Spain has drastically cut education spending, drawing student street protests.
I'm not sure what they are getting at here. High unemployment, being hard hit by the recession and debt crisis, and recently cutting education would not affect adult reading, math, and problem solving skills, so I don't think they are offering those as an explanation for those countries doing poorly on these tests.
Are they implying that because Spanish and Italian results are not as good as their neighbors they were not as capable as handling the recession and debt crisis, and so were hit harder?
I think what they imply is that a less prepared population leads to worse economic results (especially during a recession). Recent cuts for sure don't affect current scores, but they are an indication that things aren't likely to improve in the future - they could even get worse.
I'll add that a less acculturated population doesn't just offer a worse workforce, but is also likely to choose a worse political class. This is very visible here in Italy.
"Where you would find money to spend on books, time to spend on reading, when all you care about is how to get money not to starve?"
Oh man, I am from Spain. I believe you need to get out of your country for a while.
There are few places in which I had seen more misery than in the US of America, India comes to mind. There some people live very well, the rest very bad.
Spain is somewhat a socialist country, you are paid for not working, with lots of subsidies, like PER or paro, education and healthcare for the poor are free. Also lots of taxes.
Spain exports food, there is plenty of it. If you are poor there are lots of rural places where you are given land free if you want to work it(as small villages get empty when population gets older).
In Spain(and Italy) family is much more important than in the US, so it has a wide social net.
Yeah, I'm aware (fellow countryman here ;), but as far as I know Spain hasn't had our eternal crisis. In fact, I believe they had a decent surplus for a number of years.
The problem with Spain is that every time a new government is elected they decide to change the education system. And not for a better one. So there's no plan for the near future, and the investment of R&D is ridiculous and inefficient (half of the funds are never granted). The best of the best have to leave the country.
I'm not sure what they are getting at here. High unemployment, being hard hit by the recession and debt crisis, and recently cutting education would not affect adult reading, math, and problem solving skills, so I don't think they are offering those as an explanation for those countries doing poorly on these tests.
Are they implying that because Spanish and Italian results are not as good as their neighbors they were not as capable as handling the recession and debt crisis, and so were hit harder?