A quarter of Sweden's 15-year-olds struggle with basic reading and writing skills, raising concerns about education standards and the implications of the reading crisis.
The article by Isobel Hadley-Kamptz highlights alarming statistics from the latest PISA assessment, indicating that 24% of Swedish 15-year-olds are functionally illiterate, struggling to read and write at a level necessary for societal participation. This statistic points to a significant educational failure and a worrying trend in the Swedish schooling system, particularly among independent schools that reportedly violate new laws regarding school libraries without facing substantial consequences.
The piece criticizes the lack of accountability for educational institutions failing to address reading proficiency, linking the rise of functional illiteracy to a broader 'reading crisis' affecting teenagers in Sweden. Furthermore, the article explores the decline in voluntary reading among Swedish teens, suggesting that a failure to cultivate reading habits is compounded by under-resourced school libraries, particularly in private schools that operate for profit.
Hadley-Kamptz calls for urgent reforms and policy enforcement to address these educational shortcomings. She questions how such a high rate of reading difficulties can persist in a country known for its educational standards, urging stakeholders to take a critical look at how schools are operating and the implications this trend has for the future of literacy and education in Sweden.
