Topics Covered: Issues related to education.
Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019
What to study?
For Prelims: Key findings.
For Mains: India’s performance- challenges and ways to address them.
Context: Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019 report was published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
About the index:
Commissioned by the Yidan Prize Foundation. Developed to assess the effectiveness of education systems in preparing students for the demands of work and life in a rapidly changing landscape. Significance: It is the first comprehensive global index to evaluate inputs to education systems rather than outputs such as test scores and concentrates on the 15-24 age band in 35 economies.
How are countries ranked?
Countries are ranked based on their abilities to equip students with skill-based education. The rankings are based on three categories:
- Policy environment.
- Teaching environment.
- Overall socio-economic environment.
India’s performance:
- Ranked 35th. Jumped five ranks from the 40th rank.
- Scored 53.
- India’s growth is attributed to the new national education policy introduced and published in 2019.
- The policy mentions future-oriented skills such as critical thinking, communication and entrepreneurship.
Global performance:
- Finland topped the index followed by Sweden.
- Among the world’s largest economies, the US, UK, France and Russia fell back in the index while China, India and Indonesia took steps forward.
Challenges ahead:
- Inability of the Indian education system to utilise the opportunity of internationalising the higher education system.
- A decentralised education system.
Sources: ET.
