The Philippines Is Still in the Bottom 10 for Math, Science and Reading Out of 81 Countries
Sad but not surprised.
(SPOT.ph) In a not-so-surprising report, Filipino students are still among the lowest when it comes to reading, mathematics, and science, according to the latest results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Little improvement was seen from the PISA list of 2018.
The Philippines ranked 77 out of 81 countries worldwide, a test that surveyed 15-year-old students in 2022. PISA results are seen as indicators of a country’s direction, as countries with high-performing students are likely to have a robust economy in the future.
The average reading score for Filipino students was 347 points, which is way below the global average of 476. The same goes for mathematics and science as Filipino students scored 355 and 356 points respectively.
With the results, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said “policymakers and educators in the Philippines can learn from other countries’ policies and practices.”
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Student assessment in the Philippines based on PISA 2022
What’s most concerning about the report is that over 70% of students in the Philippines did not reach a minimum level of proficiency in math, reading, and science. This is one of the largest shares of low performers among all PISA-participating countries. In addition, some 25% of students reported that they had repeated a grade at least once, with OECD noting that “grade repetition tends to be less prevalent in high performing systems.”
However, it is worth noting that the Philippines increased by two points compared to PISA 2018. PISA is only conducted every three years by the OECD. This year, 7,193 Filipino students from 188 schools completed the assessment, which involved two hour-long tests for each subject.
Where former Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones said she hoped to see “an improvement in the ranking,” the Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said she “is not expecting to see high scores.”
"Hindi kasi pwede na kung ano ang ginagawa natin ngayon, iyon pa rin yung ginagawa natin ng paulit ulit. Nakailang results na tayo ng PISA... at hindi pa rin maganda ang assessments, ang scores ng mga bata," Duterte said during the culmination of the National Reading Month on November 21.
That same month, Duterte introduced a new initiative called "Catch-Up Fridays” to improve the educational crisis in the Philippines. Starting from January 12, 2024, every Friday will be designated as a "catch-up day,” particularly focusing on enhancing students' reading skills. All learners from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are expected to spend the day reading books, articles, and other materials based on interest.
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