knowledge

Economists have been fascinated by the question of the origins of prosperity since the very beginning of their discipline. Today, we know much more about it than Adam Smith did 250 years ago when he wrote The Wealth of Nations. In the mid-20th century, economist Robert Solow developed a model explaining economic growth through capital accumulation and population growth.

Children, parents, and teachers alike are increasingly questioning the school system. Ongoing reforms are gradually changing its face, yet often only superficially. The pupils suffer the most. Too much attention is paid to \"what?\" and too little to \"why?\". The lack of meaning compounds their fear of not knowing.

Writing and written symbols accompany us everywhere—from shopping and street signs to the public realm and our homes. Language\'s complex encoding is so multifaceted that entire libraries could be filled with treatises on its origins, meaning, purpose, and relevance. Yet, writing and the ability to read and write are above all instruments of freedom.

Education is like an enormous oceanic ship where no one can change the course quickly, even if everyone can see that they are heading for an iceberg. Enough politicians have been burned in Slovakia who have taken command, announced a new course, and started turning the steering wheel, but nothing happened to the ship.

Special infographics explaining in detail what conspiracy theories are, how they spread and how to counteract them were published in September 2020 by UNESCO[1] - the United Nations agency responsible for education, fostering a scientific worldview and ensuring high intellectual standards. In these attractive graphic documents, we get - among other things - a condensed definition of conspiracy thinking.

Despite the unfavorable situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic restrictions in 2020-2021, we were able to hold the fourth edition of the Economics Olympiad, the first comprehensive nationwide competition in economics and finance for high school students in Slovakia. What is more, we were happy to welcome a record number of high school students from all over the country to take part in the competition this year.

Let’s look at the data – the results of this year’s Economics Olympiad organized by INESS, with over 6,500 high school students involved. We introduce 10 key findings concerning economic skills of the youth in Slovakia.

Quarantine increases people\'s desire to study and learn. On March 25th the third national economics exam, organized by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, attracted a record number of participants (10,963). The motto of this year’s exam was “There is a human being being every number.”

Slovakia is a small country. It cannot afford to be uneducated. Still, the country has been sinking in the PISA rankings that measure “smartness” by comparing results of educational systems. Many small countries rank ahead of Slovakia.

On March 27, 2019, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) ran the second edition of the National Economics Exam. Aimed at promoting economic literacy and the relevance of economics education, the exam is intended for all citizens interested in measuring their knowledge of economics.