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The 2022 OECD PISA report released on Tuesday highlights declining education scores in Europe, a below-average performance in MENA countries, and notable advancements in South East Asia.
Morocco’s rankings were at a notable low, at 71st position in mathematics, 79th in reading, and 76th in science. Reading scores fell by 20 points from 359 in 2018 to 339 in 2022, representing a reduction in up to a year of learning.
Despite falling rates of educational attainment, Morocco was recognised by OECD Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, as one of the countries that has “rapidly expanded education to previously marginalized populations compared with past PISA assessments.”
The report named Morocco as one of 11 countries in which more than 15% of disadvantaged students were academically resilient.
The international mathematics score fell by 15 points since the 2018 tests, equal to three-quarters of a year of learning. Reading comprehension fell by the equivalent of half a year and science scores retained a similar level as before.
The OECD report, based on the 2022 PISA assessment, underscores a significant decline in education standards across Europe, with countries including Germany, Norway and Iceland experiencing significant drops in scores.
In contrast, East Asian countries, led by Singapore, including Macao, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Japan top the global charts, with advancements equivalent to being some years ahead of their global peers.
Read also: New Report Underlines Deteriorating Academic Performance of Moroccan Students
Despite the fall in education scores among European nations, Estonia emerged as a positive outlier in the 2022 PISA findings, excelling across the board with its Mathematics, Science and English scores.
The MENA countries participating in PISA testing, of which Morocco, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all scored below the OECD average, with Qatar and the UAE scoring highest among these countries in all three categories.
Last year, 690,000 15-year old students underwent the 2022 assessment, and represented 29 million students from 81 countries and economies. According to PISA, 15-year olds are selected, as they represent the last year of education for most participating countries.
PISA, under the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), assesses 15-year old students’ aptitude in mathematics, reading and science. The test has been conducted every three years since 2000.
“The PISA 2022 results show a fall in student performance that is unprecedented in [PISA} history,” said OECD education analyst Irene Hu.
The report cited COVID-19 interruptions as a cause for some of the decline, though it added that “long-term issues in education systems” are also at fault.
Students in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority scored in the bottom 15 in reading, at 78th place and 75th place respectively. In science, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority scored 375 and 369 respectively, above Morocco’s score of 365. Jordan’s average score in mathematics was below that of any previous assessment.
Morocco was among the countries in which more than 15% of students were regularly bullied, as well as Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar and the UAE.
Finally, the use of technology and cell phones was evaluated in depth in the report, and it was noted that Morocco was among 13 countries and economies where two-thirds of students are prohibited from using phones, and as a result “distractions in these countries are lower”, said the report.
