A report of the TIMSS education test shows a decline in student achievement in science and mathematics; Increase in the number of those struggling ● The disparities between the Hebrew and Arab sectors, and between the outstanding and the struggling, stand out
A dramatic drop in the achievements of Israeli students in science and mathematics - this is how the results of the international education test TIMSS, published yesterday (Tuesday), show. Although Israel is in the middle of the ranking and not at the bottom, it dropped six levels in science studies and nine levels in mathematics studies.
The test was conducted among 5,212 eighth grade students in various countries around the world, including Israel. However, students from the ultra-orthodox education system were not tested. The results achieved by the Israeli students dropped the country from seventh to 16th place in mathematics and from 13th to 19th place in science. The overall score did not change much - in science there was a drop from 516 to 507, and in mathematics - from 516 to 511.
The data shows a particularly noticeable gap between the students who got high marks on the test and those who have difficulty. It turns out that despite the drop in student results, Israel is in a high place in terms of the number of outstanding students - both in mathematics (eighth place) and in science (ninth place). The average of those who excel in the math survey is 5%, while among Israeli students it reaches 13%. In the sciences, the average is 7% and the Israeli average is 13%.
However, in recent years there has been a steep increase in the number of Israeli students who have difficulty in the test, and their rate has increased fourfold - from 4% to 16%, which is also the world average. The increase brought Israel to 20th place in this ranking.
The data also shows that there is a large gap in favor of the grades of the students from the Hebrew education compared to those from the Arab education and that in each sector, the higher the socio-economic ranking - the higher the grades.
The Asian countries stand out
Countries from the Far East stand out in the science ranking: Singapore is in first place, followed by Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Great Britain is in eighth place and the United States - in 11th. The Asian countries also lead the mathematics ranking, with Singapore in first place this time, followed by South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Russia is in sixth place, the United States in 10th and the United Kingdom in 11th.
The National Authority for Learning and Evaluation claimed that the drop was "not statistically significant" and that the accession of powerful countries such as Canada and Ireland caused Israel to drop in the ranking.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that the Israeli students maintained their achievements from the previous test, held in 2011, and that Israel is above the world average. They also noted that since the test began in 1999, Israel has been on the rise.
Minister of Education Naftali Bennett: "For all the tongue-twisters and those who still needed proof of the urgent need for a revolution in the study of mathematics,The results of these tests, conducted during the previous government, prove that we have indeed reached a state of national emergency in the field of science and mathematics. For the sake of the future of the country and for the sake of the Nobel laureates and future WISE developers, we will continue to work to double the number of five-unit students in mathematics, even if there will be criticism of one kind or another.".
One response
"However, students from the ultra-orthodox education system were not tested"
The number of ultra-Orthodox children is astronomical, Israel will soon be the last in the world.
That is why the destruction of the house and the holocaust. An ignorant people who in the end won't master the military technology and will murder.
So it was and so it will be!