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PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT 2000 - SCOTLAND ANALYSIS
SECTION 3 - FAMILY AND HOME LIFE
Family Background
1. The impact of parents' work on the reading literacy of 15 year-olds is not clear. In Scotland, reading test scores were highest for those children whose parents both work, but one of them part time.
Table 10 Percentage of students and performance on the PISA reading literacy scale, by working status of parents, Scotland, UK and OECD
| Proportion of 15 year olds and mean reading score of 15 year olds from families where: | Percentage | Mean reading score |
Scotland | UK | OECD | Scotland | UK | OECD |
| both parents work full time | 43% | 41% | 40% | 533 | 534 | 513 |
| both parents work, at least one part time | 27% | 29% | 22% | 542 | 539 | 515 |
| only one parent works | 24% | 23% | 33% | 526 | 518 | 493 |
| neither parent works | 6% | 6% | 4% | 483 | 478 | 462 |
2. In Scotland, only children tended to outperform their peers in the PISA reading literacy tests, while middle children performed worse than eldest or youngest children.
Table 11 Percentage of students and performance on the PISA reading literacy scale, by birth order, Scotland, UK and OECD
Proportion of 15 year olds and mean reading score of 15 year olds who are: | Percentage | Mean reading score |
Scotland | UK | OECD | Scotland | UK | OECD |
| an only child | 8% | 6% | 8% | 538 | 545 | 512 |
| a youngest child | 37% | 34% | 35% | 524 | 526 | 498 |
| a middle child | 20% | 25% | 24% | 518 | 506 | 478 |
| an oldest child | 35% | 34% | 33% | 531 | 534 | 515 |
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