Nearly half of teenagers worldwide cannot read with real comprehension by the end of lower secondary school

arts, ideas & societyanalysisOur World in Data

Nearly half of teenagers worldwide cannot read with real comprehension by the end of lower secondary school

the gist

Around half of children at the end of lower-secondary school, aged 12 to 15, fail to reach UNESCO's minimum level of reading comprehension. Meeting that level means connecting main ideas across different texts, understanding an author's intentions and drawing reasoned conclusions, not merely decoding words. Being able to read a sentence is different from understanding an argument, and many students can do the first without the second. The gap matters because reading comprehension underpins learning in every other subject.

how it works

Comprehension depends on linking vocabulary, sentence structure and background knowledge into a model of what a text means. Students who decode words fluently can still struggle if they cannot connect ideas or infer the author's purpose.

so what

It shows that literacy measured as basic decoding overstates how well students can actually learn from text. Education systems that track comprehension can target the skills that matter for later study and work.

Our World in Data · CC BY 4.0

Image: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0

source: Our World in Data ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗