How Long Does Zinsser Bin Stink

OECD-PISA SURVEY: between exploitation, demagogy and legitimate doubts

The PISA ( Programme for International Student Assessment) survey is promoted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with the ambition of evaluate the education system through the establishment knowledge and abilities olds attend school whether and to what extent young people leaving compulsory education have acquired some skills deemed essential to carry out a conscious and active role in society and to continue learning throughout life.

The survey, which is done every three years, determines the possession of knowledge and skills in the areas of reading, mathematics and sciences and some soft skills involved in analytical reasoning and learning.

The results of the OECD PISA-The Italian school system is still inadequate and insufficiently Italian students formats, in fact, the scores have always placed them well below the OECD average, in poorer countries. Inevitably, these results have raised many questions and many doubts about the quality of the Italian School, its purposes, the preparation of its teachers. Faced with what was perhaps necessary to open a constructive debate, open, non-ideological to identify weaknesses and problems of our national educational system, to seek solutions, innovative proposals, to deal with other situations, review priorities and targets, re-examine the route proposed rethink the training of trainers. And instead we have witnessed in these two years, the exploitation of these results used to cut hours and public school teachers, to limit the already limited funds, to reduce the full time to discredit and blame the teachers.

When the results came out last PISA survey (2009), which noted an improvement in the performance of Italian students recovered from 33rd to 29th place on the list, the Minister of Public Destruction wasted no time in thinking witty and detailed analysis, but, suddenly, he said proudly, taking credit for something that just does not belong: " In recent years has invested so much on the learning assessment and now we reward results. We grow in the areas most important climbing six positions in the European charts for the understanding of Italian, three for mathematics and one for science. They are exceptional results which show that the Italian school has improved and not worsened . In short, according to the Minister, if the students improve in the OECD rankings is a sign that the measures taken in the right direction. Too bad that the results are for 2009, less than a year after his appointment and before "his reform" you Knock down the School Italian humiliated and impoverished.

For those working in the school with passion, commitment and professionalism everyday, Minister's statements appear to be superficial, summary, demagogic and instrumental. Mrs. Gelmini should know that the boys trained in "his" school, participate in the OECD-PISA ten years. It should also have noticed, with justified concern that the results are heavily penalized by the Italian private schools, because, without their scores, students Italians move up the ladder to ten positions. Private schools Italian , therefore, are among the worst in the world. In fact, in most OECD countries, unlike Italy, students of private schools get higher scores on average than those of state and thus help to raise the overall average. Despite the evidence of these facts funding for private schools are increasing while public schools continue to decline. A paradox that the Minister should explain to us the Meritocracy.

remains to explain the mystery of the increased performance of Italian students. It may be simply that students are better prepared for their older brothers, who have acquired more skills, the school has given them greater ability to use knowledge learned. So, simply. But, without wishing to underestimate the evidence of our guys, to me is some doubt. In our school, in fact, students have always been assessed traditionally through oral questions, written reports, issues, open questions. Question on which Dante did not start with the terrifying request: "do the paraphrase of the verses ..."? and task geometry could only end with the ritual and ambitious phrase "as it turned? Evidence challenging, difficult to judge, subject to an assessment very objective easily dependent on the subjectivity of the evaluator: Prof. duty with his sympathies, his experience, his aspettattive, the mood of the moment. Particularly complex evidence that required a wide range of different skills: good command of Italian, logic and deduction, language comprehension, analysis and synthesis skills, content knowledge, skills of argument. And a little 'of the oral cheek. Italian students have always been evaluated on the basis of such tests. Were formed, grew accustomed to this kind of support tasks. Not others. The tests administered to fifteen during the OECD-PISA survey is based instead on a quiz, on a wide range of closed questions where you have to find the right answer and crosses between those dates. One type of test to which our students were not used. But more recently the Italian teachers, adapting the rest of the world have begun to impose their students. And that, as shown by the performance enhancements of 2009, making our best students in that type of evidence. In that kind of evidence! No more good in general. Not do better than their bigger brothers. only more able to tackle well structured . I think.

Then another question emerges: can the OECD Pisa survey to verify the real skills of 15 year olds and assess consequences and describe the education system? Why there is still something that the OECD / PISA results can not explain: because the CNR French third foreign researchers recruited in the fields of mathematics and physics is Italian, made in a school deemed unreasonable. A third !

The discussion is open!