MANILA - Filipino students aged 15 years old were still lagging behind in math, reading and science compared to learners from other countries, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed.

Mean scores showed that Filipino students garnered 356 points in science, 347 in reading, and 355 in math.

In PISA 2022, the mean score for math among OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries were 472 points, 476 in reading and, 485 in science.

Singapore scored significantly higher than all other countries in mathematics with 575 points, reading with 543 points and science with 561 points.

Among other countries with high scores in Math are Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macao, while Ireland, Estonia, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei also fared well in Science.

The Philippines first participated in PISA in 2018.

“Average 2022 results were about the same as in 2018 in mathematics, reading and science,” the study showed.

“Over the most recent period (2018 to 2022), the gap between the highest-scoring students (10% with the highest scores) and the weakest students (10% with the lowest scores) narrowed in mathematics, while it did not change significantly in reading and science. In mathematics, low-achievers became stronger, while performance did not change significantly amongst high-achievers,” the result said.

“Compared to 2018, the proportion of students scoring below a baseline level of proficiency (Level 2) did not change significantly in mathematics, reading and science,” it added.

In mathematics, 16 percent of students in the Philippines attained at least Level 2 proficiency which was “significantly less than on average across OECD countries.”

“At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically. Over 85% of students in Singapore, Macao (China), Japan, Hong Kong (China)*, Chinese Taipei and Estonia performed at this level or above,” the PISA results said.

It also showed that almost no students in the Philippines were top performers in mathematics, while six Asian countries namely Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Macao, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea had the largest shares of students who did so.

“At these levels, students can model complex situations mathematically, and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solving strategies for dealing with them. Only in 16 out of 81 countries and economies participating in PISA 2022 did more than 10% of students attain Level 5 or 6 proficiency,” PISA result showed

In reading, some 24 percent students in the Philippines only attained Level 2 or higher.

“At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so. The share of 15-year-old students who attained minimum levels of proficiency in reading (Level 2 or higher) varied from 89% in Singapore to 8% in Cambodia,” the PISA results explained.

“In the Philippines, almost no students scored at Level 5 or higher in reading (OECD average: 7%). These students can comprehend lengthy texts, deal with concepts that are abstract or counterintuitive, and establish distinctions between fact and opinion, based on implicit cues pertaining to the content or source of the information,” PISA added.

The results are almost similar in science, with some 23 percent of Filipino students only accomplishing Level 2 or higher, with no students scoring Level 5 or higher.

The PISA study is carried out every three years by the OECD to “explore how well students can solve complex problems, think critically and communicate effectively” and give insights as to how the countries’ educational systems “prepare students for real life challenges and future success.”

This year, 7,193 Filipino students from 188 schools completed the assessment, which involved two hour-long tests each devoted to one subject.

The Department of Education has yet to comment on the latest PISA results, as of posting

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