This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland stays in top league
10/12/2004
Scotland remains in the top league of education nations
with pupils performing strongly in all subjects assessed,
according to a comprehensive international study.
The Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) is run by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) and assesses the reading, maths and
science performance of 15-year-olds in 41 countries.
Findings from the analysis of Scottish data show:
MATHS
- Scotland is significantly above the OECD average
and ahead of both the UK and England
- Only three countries (Finland, Korea and the
Netherlands) scored significantly higher than
Scotland
- The number of Scottish pupils performing at higher
levels (level four or above) is 10 percentage points
higher (41.2 per cent) than the OECD average (31 per
cent)
- In specific areas of maths, Scottish pupils scored
particularly well - in 'uncertainty' only the
Netherlands performed significantly better, while in
'change and relationship' only two countries did
significantly better (Korea and the Netherlands)
- Scotland did particularly well in closing the gap
between lower and higher attaining pupils, with only
Finland matching the Scottish performance
READING LITERACY
- Scotland scored significantly above the OECD
average
- Only three countries are significantly ahead of
Scotland (Canada, Finland and Korea)
- 68 per cent of Scottish pupils were performing in
the top three levels compared to the OECD average (55
per cent)
SCIENCE
- Scotland scored significantly above the OECD
average.
- Only three countries performed significantly better
than Scotland (Finland, Japan and Korea)
Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"In Scotland, we are maintaining our enviable position
in the top league of education nations. Our pupils scored
well and out-performed many larger, world-leading
countries.
"In aspects of maths, we are right up there among the
best in the world and in reading most young Scots are in
the top level, significantly above the OECD average.
"We have made very clear our desire to leave no-one
behind in our drive for improvement and I am particularly
pleased that this survey shows our efforts to close the gap
are beginning to pay off.
"No country in the world has a narrower gap between
bottom and top in maths and we top the rankings with
Finland.
"However, we want to do even better and I want Scotland
to learn all we can from other nations.
"That's why we are establishing a 'benchmarking club'
which will allow Scotland to compare policies with similar
performing countries and plan further improvement.
"Our extra recruitment of maths and English teachers and
our revisions of our science curriculum are designed to
lift our performance even more. This will help us to build
our international reputation for educational excellence
even more and grow future generations of ambitious,
confident Scots capable of competing on the world
stage."
The 2003 PISA survey focused particularly on maths. The
survey is designed to assess pupils' ability to use their
knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges rather
than assess whether they have mastered a specific school
curriculum. Over 275,000 students took part from 41
countries.
The level of significance refers to the odds that the
difference between the scores is due to there being an
actual difference, and not to chance.
At the five per cent level (used throughout the report)
there is a 1 in 20 chance that the difference is not a true
difference (i.e. due to chance).
- Mathematics: OECD countries (in
alphabetical order) whose mean scores differ
significantly from the Scottish mean, or do not differ
significantly from this.
Significantly higher mean score than
Scotland
Finland, Korea, Netherlands
No significant difference between
scores
Australia, Belgium Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Iceland, Japan,New Zealand, Northern Ireland, SCOTLAND,
Switzerland
Significantly lower mean score that
Scotland
Austria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, mexico, Norway, Poland,
Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States
- Reading: OECD countries whose mean
scores differ significantly from the Scottish
mean.
Significantly higher mean score than
Scotland
Canada, Finland, Korea
No significant difference between
scores
Australia, Belgium, England, Ireland, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Northern Ireland, SCOTLAND, Sweden
Significantly lower mean score than
Scotland
Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico,
Norway, Polansd Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland,
Turkey, United States
- Science: OECD countries (in
alphabetical order) whose mean scores differ
significantly from the Scottish mean
Significantly higher mean score than
Scotland
Finland, Japan, Korea
No significant difference between
scores
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England,
France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Northern Ireland, SCOTLAND, Sweden,
Switzerland
Significantly lower mean score than
Scotland
Austria, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey,
United States