Kingdom leaps forward in OECD student assessment rankings

AMMAN — 2018 saw Jordan improve in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, thanks to the "clear progress" in Jordanian students' performance average in science, mathematics and reading courses.

President of the National Centre for Human Resources Development Abdullah Ababneh said that the report showed an increase in the average marks of Jordanian students in science and mathematics by 20 marks each, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Ababneh added that Jordanian students' assessment went up by 11 marks in reading, when compared to the previous report conducted in 2015.

The Kingdom's ranking in the report, which assessed 79 countries, improved by 18 ranks in science, seven in mathematics and 10 in reading skills, he said.

Jordan topped the list of the six countries that improved in the science field, and ranked third among the 13 countries that saw improvement in mathematics, while it needed only one mark to be included in the list of the top four countries registering a "significant development" in reading. 

Ababneh stressed that the Kingdom aspires for further development in coming versions of the PISA, adding that the recent improvement is the result of joint national efforts by students, teachers and supervisors.

The assessment, which evaluates the performance of 15-year-olds, is conducted every three years in the fields of science, mathematics and reading.

The first PISA report was launched in 2000, and Jordan began participating in the assessment in 2006.