Theme: Education & Learning
Topic: Which country has the best schools?
Listen to the podcast episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250116
Comprehension Questions
1. According to Sean Coughlan, why were the PISA tests controversial when they were first introduced?
2. Name three smaller countries that are performing better than large Western European nations in the PISA rankings.
3. What is meant by a “knowledge economy” according to the podcast?
4. How did the Estonian school principal explain his country’s success in education?
5. In the 2022 PISA rankings, which country was ranked first in reading skills?
Note down new words and phrases that you can use in the discussion.
Discussion Questions
1. What was your favourite subject at school? What made it special?
2. Do you think it’s fair to compare education systems from different countries? Why or why not?
3. Some schools separate students by ability level. Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Why?
4. What is one thing you would change about the education system in your country?
5. What do you think schools will be like in the future?
Extension
For extra listening practice, watch this TED talk: How to make learning as addictive as social media.
Example Answers
Note down vocabulary and phrases that you could use.
1. What was your favourite subject at school? What made it special?
“I’d have to say History was my favourite subject, hands down. What made it special was my teacher, Mr. Johnson – he really brought the subject to life. Instead of just making us memorise dates and facts, he would tell us fascinating stories about historical figures and get us to put ourselves in their shoes. For example, when we studied World War II, we had to write diary entries as if we were living through that time. He also encouraged us to speak up in class and share our opinions about historical events. I used to look forward to his lessons every week.”
2. Do you think it’s fair to compare education systems from different countries? Why or why not?
“Well, I can see both sides of this. On the one hand, comparing education systems can help countries learn from each other and pick up new ideas. But at the end of the day, every country has different challenges to deal with. Take my country, for example – we have lots of rural areas where it’s hard to get good teachers, while Singapore is a small city-state where everything is close by. So while it’s good to look at what works in other places, we can’t just copy and paste their systems. I think we need to take these comparisons with a pinch of salt.”
3. Some schools separate students by ability level. Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Why?
“I’m not keen on separating students by ability. I get the idea behind it – teachers can focus better on different levels. But I think it can knock students’ confidence if they’re put in a lower group. In my experience, students often learn a lot from each other. When I was at school, I struggled with maths but working with classmates who were better at it helped me catch up. Plus, in real life, we need to work with all sorts of people. So I think mixing ability levels prepares students better for the real world.”
4. What is one thing you would change about the education system in your country?
“If I could change one thing, I would cut down on exam pressure. Students are so stressed out about getting top marks that they’re burning out. My younger sister is in high school now, and she’s always staying up late to study. I think we should focus more on ongoing assessment throughout the year and practical skills. After all, when you start working, employers care more about what you can actually do rather than what grades you got. We need to strike a better balance.”
5. What do you think schools will be like in the future?
“I think schools will change quite a bit in the coming years. Technology will play a bigger role – we’re already seeing students using tablets instead of textbooks. But I don’t think traditional classrooms will completely die out. I believe we’ll end up with a mix of online and face-to-face learning. Maybe students will spend three days at school and two days learning from home. I also think there will be more focus on skills like critical thinking and problem-solving, rather than just memorising information. The world is changing so fast that we need to prepare students to adapt to new situations.”