Global Spotlight: How Finland Excels in Adult Literacy

A recent OECD report has highlighted a striking global education trend: Finnish adults with only an upper secondary education outperform British university graduates in literacy. These findings challenge common assumptions that higher education automatically ensures stronger literacy skills.

Finland’s success is attributed to its robust secondary education system, which emphasises foundational literacy and numeracy skills alongside critical thinking. In contrast, England has seen stagnant literacy levels despite rising university graduation rates. Experts suggest that uneven access to quality education and insufficient ongoing training for adults may contribute to this gap.

Finland’s example underscores the importance of investing in strong early and secondary education systems. It suggests that equipping students with essential skills early on may be more effective than relying solely on higher education to improve literacy outcomes.

The OECD findings provide a clear lesson for policymakers worldwide: sustainable literacy improvement requires attention to the full educational journey, from secondary schooling through adult learning opportunities.