Knowledge is Infinite—Oil is Not: Why PISA Matters for the Arab World

By Andreas Schleicher. Since 2000, over 70 countries that make up over 80 percent of the world’s economy have been comparing how well their school systems prepare young people for life and work.
The framework for these comparisons is the world’s global metric for learning outcomes, known as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Essentially, PISA is an international test that is administered under standardized conditions. It measures the extent to which 15-year-old students have acquired key knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. More...