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Many Americans would assume that in world comparisons the U.S. ranks highly in health and does terribly in education. UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre, however, finds the U.S. the worst of 25 OECD countries in children’s health and safety and just a little below the average of 24 OECD countries in education. But there may be some “grade inflation” on the U.S. educational score.
“By almost any available measure, the great majority of children born into today’s developed societies enjoy unprecedented levels of health and safety,” begins the Innocenti discussion (p. 13).
Almost within living memory, one child in every five in the cities of Europe could be expected to die before his or her fifth birthday; today that risk is less than one in a hundred. Loss of life among older children is even more uncommon; fewer than one in every 10,000 young people die before the age of 19 as a result of accident, murder, suicide or violence. This, too, represents an historically unheard of level of safety. (p. 13)Developed nations, including the U.S. have and continue to make advances in improving child health and safety. But still, given the wealth of the U.S., it should not be last among 25 OECD countries.
Source: UNICEF, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, Innocenti Report Card 7, 2007.The Heath and Safety index is a composite measure of infant mortality, low birth weight, immunization rates and children’s mortality rate from accidents. When these elements are combined, Sweden is far ahead of the pack, followed by Iceland. The Netherlands, Finland and Denmark are clustered relatively close together in third, forth and fifth position.
American Students: Low Ability, High Aspirations
Source: UNICEF, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, Innocenti Report Card 7, 2007.Overall, the U.S. is 14th out of 24 in the educational well-being of children—just a bit below average. Belgium is number one and a good bit ahead of the rest. Canada is second. Poland and Finland are clustered in third and fourth place.
Source: UNICEF, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, Innocenti Report Card 7, 2007.On item making up the index inflates the U.S. score the most: American students’ career aspirations. The U.S. leads in students’ aspiring to higher skilled occupations. Surprisingly, Japan has the highest percentage of students expecting to do low-skilled work. To fully understand these responses requires deeper cultural analysis.
The American students’ answers are particularly surprising when one considers that in the reading, math and science exams U.S. students placed 21st out of 25. Somehow U.S. students manage to combine relatively low achievement with high aspirations.
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--Algernon Austin, Ph.D.
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