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PISA: Israel ranked lowest in educational gaps among OECD countries

Thursday, 8. December 2016 - 13:45

The PISA exam, which evaluates students’ critical thinking and cognition, found that the gap between academically stronger and weaker Israeli students was the highest among all OECD countries.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) published unflattering test results which indicate that Israeli students’ achievements have remained unchanged since the past exam in 2012. Since 2006, Israeli students’ achievements began increasing, but the rise stopped to a certain extent during the last cycle. The PISA results reveal that Israeli students’ test scores are lower than the OECD average.

In science, Israel scored an average of 467 points this year compared to the OECD average of 493 points. Israel is ranked 40th out of the 70 countries and economic entities that participated in the assessment. In reading comprehension, Israel scored an average of 479 out of 493 points in comparison with the OECD average of 493 points. Israel is ranked 37th out of the 70 countries and entities that participated. In mathematics, Israel’s average score was 470 points in relation to the OECD average of 490 points. Israel is ranked 39th out of the 70 participating countries and economic entities.

What was also striking in relation to Israel was the dispersion index, which evaluates the score gaps between the lowest range and the highest range in each country. Among the OECD countries, the gap between stronger and weaker students was the highest in Israel. Malta and Lebanon were the only countries in which the gaps were larger than in Israel.

Judith Abramson

Source: 
www.jerusalemonline.com
Tags: 
Israel
OECD countries
PISA exam results
students