Wales’ schools system has been ranked the worst in the UK for the fifth time running in the international Pisa tests published today.
Results from tests taken by 15 year-olds in schools across Wales for the OECD survey of standards across the globe show we are still adrift of the other UK nations in reading, maths and science, although narrowing the gap.
However the results are an improvement on previous years in all three areas and the performance gap between pupils on free school meals and their better off peers is also improved.
More than 3,165 pupils aged 15 sat the two hour tests in 107 schools across Wales last year, including 458 who took it in the Welsh language. They were among 600,000 students taking the test in 79 participating countries across the globe.
Worryingly, in answer to questions on wellbeing, the percentage of pupils in Wales saying they sometimes or always felt miserable or worried was higher than in other participating countries - and the percentage saying they sometimes or always felt proud, cheerful or joyful was lower.
Wales now ranks alongside countries like the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland but below the average of developed nations (known as the OECD average) and the UK average.
The best education systems in the world, as assessed by Pisa, are those of China's major mainland cities Bejing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang and as well as Singapore. Estonia, Canada, Finland and Ireland were the highest-performing OECD countries in reading.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams said that Wales was now performing statistically at the same level as Scotland and Northern Ireland in science and maths and said "the points difference is negligible".
However England is performing better in all three disciplines.
This year's figures are based on tests taken in 2018 across the world.
These charts show how Wales' scores since 2006 have compared to the rest of the UK
In reading, we've lagged behind
In maths, Wales' scores dipped but have recovered
In science, our scores have also fallen back
The tables above show that although Wales has improved its scores since the previous tests three years earlier, science results are down 17 points compared to the 505 our pupils got in 2007 and behind the 496 in 2010 and 491 in 2013.
The score for reading is also the best yet for Wales since we joined Pisa in 2006 but it remains significantly behind the three other UK nations.
Although Wales is still behind the other UK nations and the international average, it has improved compared to 2015 and fewer nations than previously have education systems that produce better results in a 'statistically signficant way.
The following chart shows Wales' has improved compared to the rest of the world since 2015.
The numbers in the table above are not an exact ranking but shows how many countries were deemed to have performed better than Wales in a statistically significant way.
For the first time since entering the tests in 2006 the Wales average scores are in the international mainstream, if not yet meeting the average OECD average of 487 for reading,489 for maths and 489 for science.
The percentage of high performing students in reading has risen from 3% in tests taken in 2015 to 7% now, with a 4% to 7% increase in maths and a 4% to 5% increase in science.
Wales has also narrowed the disadvantage gap. In the previous Pisa results (from tests in 2015 for which the results were published in 2016) pupils eligible for free school meals scored 41 points less than their better off peers, this year it is 34 points less.
The report says pupils in Wales are relatively more able to overcome the disadvantages of their background than the OECD average
But it's bad news for wellbeing. Asked about their wellbeing: their satisfaction with their life, to what extent their life has meaning or purpose, positive and negative feelings, and their experiences of bullying, pupils in Wales reported feeling worse on average than peers around the world. .
In Wales, 93% of pupils felt happy sometimes or always, compared with 91% on average in the OECD.[2] However, they were more likely to have negative feelings compared with pupils across the OECD. In particular
Describing Wales’ latest Pisa scores as “positive but not perfect” Education Minister Kirsty Williams described the improvement as “significant”.
“For the first time ever, Wales is in the international mainstream, thanks to the efforts of our teachers and students.
“We have caught up, we are continuing to improve in all areas and as a nation we must be determined to keep up this momentum.
“This is positive for teachers, parents and students and the nation as a whole, but not perfect.
“We can go further still.”
Ms Williams added: “We are continuing to improve in all areas and we’ve got more top performers than ever before.
“Our increase in high-performers is a big step forward. It’s a culture change for Wales. But there’s still more to do, as we’re not quite at the OECD average for this aspect yet.
“We are heading in the right direction with our reforms. Our National Mission has charted the right course. The OECD are telling us to move forward with confidence.”
She said more work needed to be done on wellbeing and action is being taken.
"Children with high levels of wellbeing tend to do better. We are aware of this and that's why eatablished a ministerial workforce to look at issues around child mental health. That is also an important part of the new curriculum."
What is the OECD?
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 36 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
PISA assesses the knowledge and life skills of pupils aged 15. Pupils are assessed on their competence to address real-life challenges involving reading, maths and science.
The Welsh Government has set a target of reaching 500 points in all three Pisa measures the next time tests are taken in 2020 for publication in 2021.
Kirsty Williams said after the last disappointing scores in 2016 that her target was for Wales to simply up its own scores. A target that has been met.
Commenting on the results, Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said:
“PISA results have not been kind to Wales in the past, and this latest set of results is a real boost at a time when we are introducing a transformational new curriculum in Wales. We are delighted that performance in maths has continued an upward trend and with the recognition that Wales is roughly in line with the OECD average in reading, science and maths.
“Of course, we want to do a good deal better than this in the future and our national ambition is to make our education system among the very best in the world.
“We would always caution people against over-claiming or over-blaming any one factor on the difference in results between countries. PISA is just one measure of an education system and cannot possibly tell the full story about our schools.
“However, today’s results are a positive step forward, and we extend our congratulations to our students and teachers.”
