Less than 50% of students know the basics of math and science

Brazil remained stable in mathematics, reading and science scores in the International Student Assessment Program (Pisa). However, less than 50% of students achieved the minimum level of learning in mathematics and science.

In 2022, the country achieved 379 points in mathematics, 410 in reading and 403 in science, according to results released this Tuesday (5) by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 2018, the previous year assessed, performance was 384 points in mathematics, 413 in reading and 404 in science.

“The 2022 average results were practically the same as 2018 in math, reading and science. Pisa results have remained remarkably stable over a long period: after 2009, in all three subjects, only small and mostly non-significant fluctuations were observed,”

says the report on the performance of Brazilian students.

Applied every three years, PISA assesses the knowledge of 15-year-old students in the three subjects. In total, 690,000 students from 81 countries took the tests. In Brazil, 10,798 students from 599 schools underwent the assessment. In the 2022 edition, the focus was on mathematics.

With the 2022 results, Brazil remains in the group below the average of OECD countries in the three subjects: 472 points in mathematics, 476 in reading and 485 in science.

Every 20 points are equivalent to one school year. In science, for example, Brazil is at least four years behind the OECD members.

At the rankingranked 64th among grades in mathematics, 53rd in reading and 61st in science, behind other Latin Americans, such as Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Mathematics

According to the survey, 27% of Brazilian students reached level 2 of proficiency in mathematics, considered the minimum level of learning, while the average for OECD countries in the subject is 69%.

Only 1% of students in the country achieved levels 5 or 6, considered the highest, when students solve complex problems, compare and evaluate strategies. The OECD average is 9%.

Of the 81 countries and economies participating in PISA 2022, only in 16 more than 10% of students reached level 5 or 6.

Reading and Science

As for reading, half of students in Brazil achieved level 2 or more. Despite better performance, the percentage is still below the OECD average, 74%. At levels 5 and 6, the percentage was just 2%.

In science, around 45% of students reached level 2, compared to 76% of the OECD average. The best performing students made up just 1%.

Global scenario and pandemic

Compared to Pisa 2018, average performance in OECD countries fell by ten points in reading and almost 15 points in mathematics. In science, the average remained stable.

According to the report, it is estimated that approximately 25% of 15-year-olds in OECD member countries, that is, 16 million, have not reached level 2, that is, they have difficulty carrying out calculations with basic algorithms or interpreting simple texts.

In nations like Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland, math scores fell by 25 points or more between 2018 and 2022.

“While it is clear that some countries and economies perform very well in education, the overall picture is more worrying. In more than two decades of global Pisa testing, the average score has not changed dramatically between consecutive assessments. But this cycle has seen an unprecedented drop in performance,”

says the report.

According to the survey, the covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the education of young people during this period – with the closure of schools and the adoption of classes online – however, it cannot be identified as the only cause for the lower performance in the countries.

The report says it did not identify a “clear difference” in 2022 grades due to the closure of schools for more or less than three months during the pandemic.

“The Covid-19 pandemic seems like an obvious factor that could have impacted results during this period. In reading, for example, many countries such as Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and Sweden have recorded students with lower grades for some time – in some cases for a decade or more. Educational trajectories were very negative before the pandemic arrived. This indicates that long-term issues in education systems are also to blame for the drop in performance. It’s not just about Covid.”

Singapore led in mathematics (575 points), reading (543 points) and science (561 points), which means that students have three to five more years of schooling compared to other students in countries with the average OECD.

In just four locations, there was improvement in all three disciplines between the 2018 and 2022 assessments: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Dominican Republic and Chinese Taipei.

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