Knowledge and Skills for Life assesses how far students near the end of compulsory education (15-year-olds) have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society.  It presents evidence on student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy, reveals factors that influence the development of these skills at home and at school, and examines what the implications are for policy development.

The report shows considerable variation in levels of knowledge and skills between students, schools and countries. The extent to which the socio-economic background of students and schools affects student performance varies.  Some countries have managed to mitigate the influence of social background and some have done that while achieving a high overall mean performance.

A Winner of the 2001 Awards for Notable Government Documents conferred by the American Library Association/Library Journal