Re: [Phys-L] Private Schools (now with extra data)

["Marc \"Zeke\" Kossover" <zeke_kossover@yahoo.com>]

From: Ze'ev Wurman <zeev@ieee.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 12:28 AM

> I have no quarrel with publicly-funded education. But I see many issues with publicly *run* education, 
> which is what we have today. Further, I think you are wrong when you equate this to mean that the 
> haves and have nots "are the way it should be." Again and again, please look at Sweden or Belgium. 
> Or on our own higher ed system. Are they the epitome of maintaining the status quo? Do the Swedes have
> nice private schools and slum public schools?

I
 presume that you have brought up Sweden because Sweden has been 
experimenting with giving more flexibility to schools and creating more 
private schools. This has not gone well for them on the PISA. If you 
look below, Sweden has trended downwards over the last several decade. 
In 2000 and 2003, Sweden was in the top tier in all reading, math and 
science, but in 2009 it was in the middle tier in all the same 
categories. In the same time period Finland has remained at the top.
 
(R=Reading, M=Math, S=Science)
 
2009  Sweden   R 497       M 494     S 495
         Finland    R 536       M 541     S 554

2006  Sweden   R 507       M 502     S 503
         Finland    R 547       M 598     S 563
 
2003  Sweden   R 514       M 540     S 495
         Finland    R 543       M 539     S 506
    
2000  Sweden   R 516       M 510     S 512
         Finland    R 546       M 536     S 538
PISA 2009 http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf
PISA 2006 http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/13/39725224.pdf
PISA 2003 http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/1/60/34002216.pdf
PISA 2000 http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/43/9/33690591.pdf
 
Why
 do I compare these to Finland in particular? Finland doesn't allow any 
variations in school. Yes, kids can go to private school if they want, 
but every private school must maintain the same curriculum as the public
 schools.
 
Marc "Zeke" Kossover
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation