Austria's reading skills in a descent: Alarming decline recognized!

Austria's reading skills in a descent: Alarming decline recognized!

Österreich - The reading skills of Austrian adults have reached an alarming low point. The latest results of the Piaac survey (Programs for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) show a worrying decline in reading skills in the past eleven years. This survey, which is carried out by the OECD every ten years, proves that 29% of 16 to 65-year-olds in Austria have low reading skills, which is an increase compared to the 26% in the OECD comparison. About 1.7 million people in Austria have only limited reading skills, which represents a striking increase compared to around one million in 2011/12. This may have serious consequences for their opportunities in their professional life and in everyday life. Kosmo is reported that the reading skills in Austria are 254 points, which is below the OECD average of 260 points lies.

Education Minister Christoph Return sees an urgent need for action and has announced reforms. It indicates the particularly strong decline in reading skills in people over 35 years. While younger adults between the ages of 16 and 24 raise the overall cut, the reading services in other groups, such as retirement and people in household activities, have declined sharply. Employees in the service sector, in the craft and in auxiliary professions also show a negative development of reading skills. Studies show that there is a connection between higher education and better incomes. The ministry emphasizes that the decline is particularly noticeable in more complex texts such as newspaper articles and magazines.

causes of the decline

Return makes migration, the consequences of pandemic and excessive cell phone consumption as partial causes for the decline in reading skills. It is particularly noteworthy that the lowest reading skills have increased in people with non-German first language. The percentage of this group with low reading skills rose from 39% to 61%. The Minister of Education therefore emphasizes the urgency of German funding programs for children and adolescents. Over 1,300 positions for German funding will be provided in the coming school year to counteract this.

Another aspect that appeals to return is the high number of people without compulsory school leaving certificate. The Minister of Education is planning adaptations of the curricula to promote reading, starting in kindergarten. "Innovative funding concepts are necessary to sustainably improve reading skills instead of simply adding school years," continued Return. The promotion of lifelong learning should also be a central component of future concepts.

meaning of piaac for education policy

PIAAC survey is an important instrument for evaluating and further developing the education system in Austria. Returns the results of the study as a decisive factor for data -based adjustments to the educational offers. The survey examines fundamental areas of competence in different countries, including reading skills and everyday mathematical skills , as the educational server emphasizes .

The alarming knowledge require immediate measures and reforms, since well -developed reading skills are decisive for social participation and individual development. Austria is now at a turning point where targeted efforts are necessary to remedy deficits and to promote the reading skills of the adults sustainably.