I promised myself a week to write. Yesterday, I did just that.
The plan for the new book is now with three publishers and an agent. I heard what people said here.
The first chapter is in draft, but needs editing, and a bit of work has been done on the second.
It is amazing how much time is available in a day when I do not work on videos. I was, however, well short of my highest-ever word count, which I think was produced when drafting the final chapter of The Joy of Tax. There were 9,400 words in that chapter, and they were written in a day.
That is why I found yesterday's PISA educational attainment data from the OECD disappointing. I should say that the style of mechanical replication ability these tests measure is not what I think is most important in education or in determining life outcomes. The OECD awards no marks for the most important characteristic that any education system should encourage, which is curiosity, but it is troubling nonetheless that reading ability is moving backwards, and quickly.
As the Guardian notes the OECD saying:
The long-term declines in performance suggest deeper structural issues within education systems, with challenges at the school and system level. These include changing attitudes towards reading, the impact of digital distractions on students and rising levels of absenteeism.
Reading ability is slipping, markedly, and COVID is no longer the determining factor. It seems that tech and alienation from an education system and society that no longer provides answers to questions that young people feel are relevant to them is the real issue.
I know so many young people who almost proudly say they never read a book, and have not written a word beyond the length of a text message since leaving school. As someone who finds the idea of life without the written word almost incomprehensible, I confess to being more than a little saddened by that.
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Not in my house! My two read a lot of books – as do we, their parents. There will always be people who go against the grain.
Mine, too. Always, it seems.
Kudos to the late Dolly Parton, for her amazing counter-cultural work on child literacy. I have a nephew in Tennesee who has a personalised set of books from Dolly’s scheme.
Good luck with the book.
They shifted young people ‘s developing brains onto screens – it seems imevitable.
I have broken my right wrist and find the inability to write for weeks a different life – less able to organise, but much eventually deeper reflection and presence. its been an interesting enforced experiment
I type as little as possible: I suspect I have dyspraxia when it comes ot keyboards. Dictation solves the problem, but I have forty years of practice. Good luck wth the wrist.
I had a friend who was an HMI His Majesty Inspector of schools, in Design Technology. He and most of his colleagues are in agreement with you that the tests measure more mechanical skills.
The maximum score is 600. England attained 497 in reading and Scotland 488. That is less than a 2% difference. OECD average 463. Wales is the lowest of the four nations of the UK and even they are about 1% below the OECD average. Scotland, Northern Ireland and England are in the top 20%. We need take the comments of politicians with a pinch of salt.
But, I agree 100% the lack of reading is something to worry about.