What it takes to get ahead

Chen says the best outcomes combine both teacher-directed and inquiry-based methods.

GLOBALLY, 70% of education reform efforts have failed in the last 25 years. Despite an increase in spending, outcomes have either been flat, or declining. The worrying trend has led a consulting firm to publish ‘The Drivers of Student Performance: Insights from Asia’ report recently.

McKinsey & Company partner Li-Kai Chen said the report which focuses on the factors that drive student outcomes, showed consistent findings across the region. The report is unique, he says, because it applies machine learning and advanced analytics to huge data sets from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which covers over half a million students in 72 countries. Chen speaks to StarEducate on the main highlights of the report.