The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's International Early Learning Study: What's going on. (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moss, Peter; Urban, Mathias
• Is Part Of: Contemporary issues in early childhood. Volume 20:Number 2(2019:Jun.)
• Page Start: 207
• Page End: 212
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Cross-national assessment -- early childhood education -- International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study -- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Child development -- Periodicals; Early childhood education -- Periodicals; Children -- Periodicals; Social work with children -- Periodicals; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1177/1463949118803269
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1463-9491

Abstract

In this colloquium, the authors provide an update on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's proposal for an International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study, the 'first wave' of which is now being implemented in three countries: England, Estonia and the USA. The authors argue that as the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study progresses, its superficiality and pointlessness become more apparent. They also locate the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study in a 'global web of measurement' centred on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, whose aim appears to be the reduction of education to a purely technical exercise of producing common outcomes measured by common indicators, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development acting as the global arbiter, assessor and governor of education. They call on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and its partners to start engaging with legitimate concerns and criticisms.