Many public services in Britain are in a wretched state. Yet England’s schools are a clear exception. Pupils are increasingly numerate and literate, compared with peers abroad. In maths tests for the OECD, a club of rich countries, English teenagers bounded from 27th place in 2009 up to 11th by 2022. In reading, a recent test placed England’s primary schools fourth in the world. Foreigners tour England’s classrooms in search of tips. They include envious visitors from America, where trends in test scores are less encouraging.
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