2015 Ranking of Country's Education Process

The latest ranking of top countries in math, reading, and science is out — and the US didn't crack the top 10

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the results of its 2015 global rankings on student performance in mathematics, reading, and science, on theProgram for International Student Assessment, or PISA.

The PISA is a worldwide exam administered every three years that measures 15-year-olds in  countries. About 540,000 students took the exam in 2015.

The US saw an 11-point drop in average score for math, while remaining relatively flat in reading and science.

[Aside: I must point out as a former Canadian teacher that we were 10th in Math, #3 in Reading and #7 in Science: Moral of the story? Send your kids to Canada for Education! ? :)] 

Business Insider

The results again raise questions about the global competitiveness of the US educational system.

On a press call on Tuesday, Jon Schnur, executive chairman of America Achieves, said we need to make dramatic progress in showing educational improvement for students.

When looking at a comparable sample of countries that participated in the PISA exam in both 2012 (the last time the test was administered) and 2015, the US ranking fell to 35th from 28th in math. The US underperformed the OECD average in math.

Scores were relatively unchanged in reading and science compared to 2012 — down one point in each. The US performed better than the OECD average in both subjects.

Asian countries again topped the rankings across all subjects, and Singapore was the top performing country across all three subjects.

http://www.businessinsider.com/pisa-worldwide-ranking-of-math-science-reading-skills-2016-12

Why Do I Believe in God?

Here are some reasons I believe in God. Why do you believe? Why do you not believe?

1. To Me the evidence is overwhelming that there is a God.
2. Why did a group of rag-tag fisherman, tax-collectors and just ordinary guys give up their lives to follow Yeshua? (Jesus - I am using his name that is probably closer to what it really was in Hebrew.)
3. How did a guy like Peter go from a coward, afraid to admit he was a Yeshua follower when he denied the Lord 3 times before the rooster crowed? Of course you will notice the stress is on Peter but the other disciples did not even have the courage to hang around where Yeshua was being held before his crucifixion.
4. How did this same coward after the baptism of the Holy Spirit suddenly have enough courage to stand up in front of thousands of his fellow Jews and declare his belief in Yeshua as the promised Messiah?
5. Why did the western world start the calendar over after the time of Yeshua? Can you imagine having the world re-start its calendar because of the birth of a Jewish baby?
6. Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies that were forecast hundreds if not thousands of years before his birth.
7. Why since the birth of Yeshua have so many lives radically changed been changed for the better? It continues today. People who were prostitutes, drug addicts, murderers have encountered a spiritual rebirth and totally changed their lives for the better.
8. Why have dedicated Christians over time, radically changed old systems to new kinder, compassionate systems. For example, from memory, which could be a bit faulty: Yeshua gave a higher status from his actions and sayings to women than had previously occurred. Our educational systems that were originally only for the rich who could afford them were made public to help people who were not born priveleged into wealthy families. Various Christian groups also established hospitals, homes for people who used to live on the street or in other words, were homeless. Universities in the Western World were usually started by Christian groups. The Red Cross movement was started by a staunch Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant. I could list and have listed elsewhere the number of missionary organizations that have been started to alleviate suffering all over the world.
9. The Judeo-Christian or Western world has been responsible for most of the scientific advancements in the current world. Currently Israeli inventions have contributed the most to help the world. Am I saying they were all perfect? Absolutely not. Many so-called christians have polluted the name of "Christ" by doing some pretty stupid things. However NOT everything done under the name of "Christ" is actually Christian. It is only Christian if it is done in the manner, beliefs and teachings of Yeshua.
10. Yeshua has inspired amazing architecture in various places including ancient Rome, centre of Roman Catholicism. 
11. Yeshua inspired Handel's Messiah. Other great musical works were inspired by believers in Yeshua.
12. Personally when I asked Yeshua to come into my life personally and help me become a better person, my life changed for the better. I have had an unbelievable number of prayers that have been answered including praying that my friend Ellen would become my wife. Almost 50 years later, I have never regretted that prayer.

Almost anything I do has the intent of helping others come to understand the God I know personally. He has made my life more meaningful and given me direction.