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Back to PISA after 2009 poor show: how does it assess 15-year-olds?
News:
- Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) has decided to participate in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), after 10 years.
Important facts:
- About PISA
- It is a triennial international survey, first administered in 2000 and coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
- It assesses the quality of education systems across the world by evaluating students in science, mathematics and reading.
- PISA is a competency-based test designed which assess candidate’s ability to apply their knowledge to real-life situations.
- Eligibility criteria to participate in PISA:
- It focuses on 15-year-old students who have either completed or at near the end of their compulsory education.
- PISA requires the examinees to have finished at least six years of formal schooling.
- Significance of PISA
- PISA has been significant to influence educational practices in many countries.
- Unlike testing a student’s memory and curriculum-based knowledge, emphasises on individual’s capacity to solve real-life situations.
- Criticism of PISA:
- Academicians have expressed concerns over the impact of such rankings upon students.
- It is based on standardised testing which relies heavily on quantitative measures.
- It does not focus upon long-term and enduring solutions but only immediate solutions.
- Low or no participation of SAARC nations, Greenland, Argentina and the entire African continent, except Algeria and Tunisia.
- OECD’s response:
- OECD stated that there is no evidence to suggest PISA or any other educational comparison has caused a shift to short-term fixes.
- In fact, according to OECD, it has created opportunities for policy-makers and stakeholders to collaborate across borders.
- India back to PISA:
- India has participated only once in PISA in 2009, with participation of 16,000 students from 400 schools.
- India was placed 72nd among the 74 participating countries. The government blamed “out of context” questions for the poor show.
- It was then decided to boycott the 2012 and 2015 cycles of PISA.
- HRD Ministry in 2016 set up a committee to review the matter which recommended that the country participate in the 2018 test cycle.
- MoHRD formally approved the decision to participate in the 2021 cycle of PISA.
