Spanish school kids poor marks for maths and science in OECD rankings

SPANISH schoolchildren are performing relatively poorly in maths and science compared to other countries, according to a new international report.

The latest data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which measures 15-year olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges, ranks Spanish kids below average in both subjects.

What’s more, Spanish youngsters’ score for maths fell 4.5 points this year to 481, while in science it was down 9.5 points to 483. The OECE average for both is 489 points.

This puts Spain on similar levels to Hungary and Lithuania.

There were however notable regional differences in school kids’ performances within Spain. Navarra and Castilla y Leon came out best, with 503 and 502 points respectively.

Bottom of the class for maths was Ceuta with just 411. Melilla did a bit better with 432, while the Canary Islands was third from bottom on 460 and Andalucia was fourth worst with 467.

Galicia came top of the class for science with a 510 score and Ceuta was bottom again with 415.

The OECD report also looked at the environment inside the classroom and bullying. It concluded Spanish children suffer from abuse less frequently than the OECD average: 17 per cent in Spain compared with typically 23 per cent for all the participating countries.

It also revealed youngsters in Spain are “more satisfied” with their lives (74 per cent) than the average for the OECD (67 per cent), and 96 per cent said they are happy.

PISA compares results in 79 countries. Once again Singapore and China led the overall rankings for knowledge and skills rankings.

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Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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