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　　Over the next few months, 15-year old pupils inmore than 70 countries around the world will takepart in a series of tests that will cover maths, scienceand reading skills. And they’ve been coordinated bythe OECD. In the past, Sweden used to excel, but inrecent years, the situation has changed. And itspupils’ performance in these tests has droppedfaster than those of any other nation. The Swedish authorities have set up a commission tofind out why.

　　Teenagers partying in Gothenburg’s main square. They are celebrating the end of their schooldays with a parade. But Sweden school system has less to shout about. It’s falling rapidly inthe international tests in maths, science and reading, a decline that’s followed the reformscreating more choice and more competition with free schools setting up alongside municipalschools. Just down the road, the Swedish Education Minister is visiting a school. So where doesthe minister think the system began to lose its way?

　　We have pretty much of consensus, but everyone has their own explanation on which ofthese reforms in the late 80s and early 90s that was the most pragmatic.

　　This is a free school, one of 36 in Sweden. But since their reforms that allowed them to be setup, the gap between the best and worst schools in Sweden has widened. And when you look atthose international test results, the falling standards has happened in all kinds of schools.

　　Choice, opportunity for parents to choose a school is really important. That will improvequality of all the schools where there is actually healthy competition.

　　They are testing model bridges they designed and built during the term. One by one, weightsare added to a bridge until finally it collapses. This municipal school in Stockholm is putting moreeffort into science and maths. But finding teachers is hard.

　　Salary might have something to do with it. Workload, definitely. Teachers’ workload. They workso much. There is so much administration, which is true. And the debate about standardshas left the schools weary. The head teacher here says maths is important. But she argues theOECD tests don’t give the whole picture.

　　take part in

　　参与

　　When you take part in any performance, you get out as much as you put in.

　　你参加任何活动，你投入多少力量就会得到多少收获。

　　a series of

　　一系列

　　To do this they pitted the groups against each other in a series of competitions.

　　为了达到这个目的，他们让两组人在一系列的竞赛中相互竞争。

　　be coordinated by

　　配合

　　The rescue funds would be coordinated by the European Commission.

　　该援助基金会由欧盟委员会协调。

　　set up

　　建立

　　In remembrance of the battle, we set up a museum.

　　为纪念那次战役, 我们建立了一座博物馆。

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