PISA Tests: Colombia obtained scores lower than the OECD

Average 40% of Colombian students obtained low results on the three core tests: reading, science and mathematics.

The results of the Pisa tests, which assesses the knowledge of 15-year-old students in 79 countries around the world, were released on Tuesday. After testing 8,500 students from 250 public and private schools at the beginning of last year, the figures reported for Colombia are not very encouraging. The national figure scored lower than the OECD average in reading (412 points), mathematics (391) and science (413), and its scores were more similar to those of students in Albania, Mexico, the Republic of the North from Macedonia and Qatar. (Read: “Out of gratitude, the attitude towards Venezuela should be different”: Socorro Ramírez).

Compared to the 2015 results, the PISA 2018 scores (considering a longer period) suggest that "average performance has improved in all subjects, including reading, since the country first participated in PISA in 2006." . However, this year it is evident that reading performance, which was the main subject, is below that registered in the previous evaluation.

In the current scenario, half of the evaluated students reached level 2 of proficiency in reading and science, while only 35% obtained the same level in mathematics. Almost 40% of Colombian students obtained low results in all three subjects. One explanation for this is socioeconomic status. This indicator explains 14% of the variation in reading performance, a figure higher than the OECD average of 12%. However, this reality places the country lower than nations such as France (18%), Hungary (19%), Peru (21). %) and Uruguay (16%).