NZ sitting below group of world-leaders when it comes to reading, science and maths
New Zealand students have ranked in the top tier globally for reading, science, and mathematics in the latest OECD PISA assessment. While the country performs well, officials noted that the sample was slightly skewed toward high-achieving students and highlighted a concerning decline in reading proficiency among boys.
Why it matters
PISA results are a critical benchmark for national education policy and global competitiveness in human capital development.
A major international test has ranked New Zealand teens ninth in the world for reading, 10th-equal for science, and 14th-equal in maths.
In all three subjects the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment placed this country's 15-year-olds in a group of strongly-performing countries sitting below a group of world-leaders.
But the results also showed New Zealand boys' proficiency in reading has continued to fall, dragging down the national average for the subject.
The Education Ministry said New Zealand's sample was skewed toward higher-achieving students, meaning the country's average scores might be inflated by 10-15 points.
"It is important to note that the bias may not affect trend or country comparisons to its full extent, because a similar (although, likely, smaller) bias may also affect past results and the results of other countries and economies," it said.
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