It was reported this week by TVE News and it was surely hidden among the noise: one in three Spaniards has difficulty understanding a long text. The data was provided by what, for simplicity, has been called the PISA report for adults. In reality, an international evaluation of the abilities of people between 16 and 65 years old to solve “dynamic situations” in complex environments, or their level of important knowledge such as mathematics and reading comprehension, that ability that enables them to, precisely, understand what is read. Its ultimate purpose is not explained as another function of reading other than to find out what is in the text.
Personally, I found the study clarifying because it explains many current events. It is not just another survey. The study of students is carried out regularly by the OECD every three years to guide governments and educational authorities. The one for adults is also carried out by the OECD (with the EU in this case) and they call it International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Its cycle is ten years and it is the second time it has been carried out. 245,000 people from 31 developed countries have participated. The one with the lowest income is Chile.
#Spaniards #understand #read
