In contrast to the situation for Swedish students, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) present a different picture of educational challenges and priorities within digital and traditional competencies. In these countries, where many schools and educational systems are also undergoing reforms and development, there is often a greater focus on fundamental skills, especially in mathematics and science. This is evident in international knowledge assessments like PISA, where students from certain BRICS countries tend to perform particularly well in these subjects.

Here are some key comparisons:

  1. Digital Competence: Like in Sweden, digital competence is a growing priority in the BRICS countries, though the implementation varies. In countries such as China and India, there is a focus on integrating digital technology into education to promote digital skills. However, there are often significant gaps between urban and rural areas in terms of technology access. Despite these disparities, the goal in many BRICS countries is to strengthen students’ digital abilities in an increasingly global and tech-driven economy.

  2. Literacy and Language Skills: In many BRICS countries, especially India and China, literacy has been a national priority for decades due to the challenges low literacy poses for economic and social development. Consequently, intensive literacy campaigns and significant investments in early education are common. In some cases, this emphasis creates greater national awareness and targeted investment in traditional skills than in countries where basic literacy is already high.

  3. Book Reading and Information Consumption: In Sweden, the decline in book reading among youth is linked to a digital shift and preference for shorter reading formats, which negatively impacts concentration and deep reading comprehension. In the BRICS countries, the challenges are sometimes more structural, such as lack of access to books or educational resources. However, increasing urbanization and digitalization also mean that young people in these regions are increasingly drawn to digital content rather than traditional reading.

  4. Educational Reforms: The BRICS countries are actively implementing educational reforms to address the needs of a growing economy and labor market. Many prioritize STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and digital competence, sometimes placing higher importance on these skills over traditional humanities subjects.

In summary, the differences between Sweden and the BRICS countries highlight distinct educational challenges: Sweden faces issues with maintaining and integrating reading and digital literacy, while many BRICS countries are focused on ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy skills as they work to expand digital infrastructure. Both contexts require a balance between digital and traditional skills to prepare students for future demands.

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