The 2022 report by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has shown that although Turkey ranks higher in all three categories of math, reading and science compared to 2018, the country’s scores in these areas are below the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Turkish Minute reported.
The results of the eighth PISA, a test of the science, mathematics and reading skills of 15-year-olds from around the world, were published by the OECD on Tuesday. The PISA report is the world’s most comprehensive report on education and covers nearly 700,000 students in 81 countries.
According to the report, Turkey’s mean score in mathematics decreased by one point (454 to 453). In reading it decreased by 10 points (466 to 456), while in science, it increased by eight points (468 to 476), compared to 2018.
The OECD average mean score in math is 472, 476 in reading and 485 in science.
Meanwhile, Turkey placed 39th in mathematics, 36th in reading and 34th in science, ranking higher in all three areas compared to 2018.
Singapore claimed the top position in all areas in the 2022 assessment, where an unprecedented decline in student proficiency levels was observed across the OECD.
Among the high performers are Macao (China), Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Estonia, all of which consistently rank within the top 10 in each of the three main categories.
In the reading category, Singapore is followed by Ireland, Japan and South Korea, while in the mathematics ranking, the second, third and fourth positions are occupied by Macau, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, respectively. In science, Singapore is followed by Japan, Macao and Taiwan.
According to the report Turkey is among the OECD countries where the proportion of students suffering from food insecurity exceeds 10 percent of the student population, at 19.3 percent.
The PISA assessment began in the year 2000 and is conducted every three years. However, according to the OECD, the 2021 assessment was postponed to 2022 to “reflect post-COVID challenges.”
