The problem with education does not end with poor results on international tests.
It continues into the life of an adult who can read a text but cannot recognize how the text is trying to mislead them.
Without understanding and verification, it is harder to distinguish fact from a convincing lie. The confidence with which a statement is made can replace verification. Authority is equated with knowledge, and a promise with proof that something will actually be done.
Therefore, a lack of understanding what one reads is not merely an educational problem. It is a societal problem.
A person who does not understand the information on which they base their decisions easily becomes a tool in the hands of those who shape that information. Their thinking then arises not from reflection, but from repetition.
This is also reflected in the decisions we make together.
A persuasive message gets through more easily when no one stops to check what it’s based on.
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