[Think free or die]

"Either 1) children are getting smarter, or 2)Schools are getting better at teaching or 3) the exams are getting easier. Care to place a bet on which one it is? Hint, the last option is by far the easiest and cheapest to do. "

option 4 - teaching to the test.

[Vanders9]

Oh yes...I forgot about that one. Its kind of allied to the last point, and is a function of political control. The demand for results leads to an over-emphasis on passing exams, to the detriment of the actual imparting of both knowledge and wisdom. Its reached the point today where schools no longer teach math, history or geography, they teach how to pass exams.