Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) — The Philippines is still among the countries with the lowest proficiency in reading comprehension, mathematics, and science among 15-year-old students, according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 results.
The PISA results released on Tuesday indicated that the country’s average 2022 results in mathematics, reading and science “were about the same as in 2018.” It also reported that the Philippines scored less than the average set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
It also explained that 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 there was no significant change in reading and science.
“In mathematics, low-achievers became stronger, while performance did not change significantly amongst high-achievers,” it added.
Specifically, 16% of Filipino students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, which is significantly less than the OECD average at 69%.
“At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically (e.g. comparing the total distance across two alternative routes, or converting prices into a different currency),” PISA explained.
When it comes to reading, 24% of students attained Level 2 proficiency or higher in reading, still lower than the OECD average at 74%. PISA said Filipino students can at least 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.
Some 23% of Filipino students also attained Level 2 proficiency or higher in science, which was also lower than the 76% OECD average. These students can at least recognize the correct explanation for familiar scientific phenomena and can use such knowledge to identify, in simple cases, whether a conclusion is valid based on the data provided, PISA said.
Some 690,000 students participated in the latest assessment, with 7,193 from 188 schools coming from the Philippines. They took two-hour long tests in each of the subjects, which was a mix of multiple choice and constructing their own answers.
Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte earlier said they are expecting bad results from the assessment. She emphasized the importance of addressing learning gaps and areas for improvement in the current education system.
Recently, DepEd launched the decongested Matatag K-12 program which, according to the department, has so far helped students improve their performance.
