1 . The Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA)
The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA)found that high school students from the Chinese mainland ranked No. 1 in all three core subjects.
PISA tests are conducted every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD).
PISA 2018 tested around 600,000 15-year-old students in 79 countries and regions in reading, science and mathematics.
The first PISA was carried out in 2000. China has participated in the study every time since 2009, when students from Shanghai were selected as representatives and came out as champions in all three categories.
China’s overall ranking dropped to No. 10 in 2015 when it was represented by Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong that year. The country placed 27th in reading, sixth in mathematics and tenth in science then.
Responding to disputes that a few eastern regions cannot show the whole educational picture of the world’s most populous country, the OECD said that each of them is comparable in size to many Western countries, and have a combined population of over 180 million. It added that even 10% of the most disadvantaged students in these four provinces showed better reading skills than the most advantaged students in some countries, and better performance than the average student in OECD countries.
A.The main focus this time was on reading, with most students doing the test on computers. |
B.In 2012, students from Shanghai took the tests again and finished top in all areas as well. |
C.Besides academic assessments, PISA also asked performers about their well-being. |
D.In the latest survey, students from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang managed to regain first place in all three categories. |
E.The study examines what 15-year-olds know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. |
F.However, the survey also indicated that Chinese students spend the longest time—about 57 hours per week—on study. The average figure among OECD countries is 44. |