Student Rankings in Programme for International Student Assessment

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Education with regard to the release of results of students who took problem-solving tests under the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (a) whether the ranking of students will add stress on the students to maintain their performance in such tests; and (b) whether schools have been reminded on their role to educate the students and not to pursue good ranking in such international tests.

Mdm Speaker, the purpose of our participation in PISA is not to get a good global ranking. Our objective is to find out how well our students are being equipped with important life skills that are important for their future.

In the PISA study, a sample of 5,400 15-year-olds was randomly selected by OECD for the pen-and-paper tasks on reading, math and science. Half of these students then went on to do a combination of the computer-based math, reading or problem solving tasks. There was no preparation required of schools and students.

PISA scores are meant to be reported at the national aggregate level, and not at the individual student or school level. The sampling technique used by OECD is such that scores at the individual and school level are not statistically meaningful. The test scores of individual students are not disclosed to the participants or to schools. Students do not have to make additional preparations for these tests. So, our participation in this study is unlikely to create stress to students.

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We have also been working closely with schools, parents and the community to drive home the message that we should work together to bring out the best in every child. Among others, this means equipping them with the moral compass and the navigation skills to apply their knowledge and exercise their creativity in various contexts and situations – including those which are unfamiliar and complex. The various PISA scores give us an additional source of input and an international benchmark. The more detailed PISA findings in terms of the proportions of our students achieving at various proficiency levels also enable us to review the effectiveness of our teaching and learning strategies in levelling up the competencies of all students.

Our students' good performance attests to their deep conceptual understanding and good thinking skills honed through the rich learning experiences provided by our schools and teachers – both in the classroom and outside of the classroom, for instance, in activities such as co-curricular activities, learning journeys, and Values-in-Action projects of various forms. Teachers have also made learning relevant and engaging, and ensured that students learn to use their knowledge and skills in real-life situations. It also reflects the emphasis that our parents place on education.

We will continue to work in partnership with parents to equip our students for the future.

I thank the Minister for the answer. I just want to be sure that when the Minister said "randomly selected", it does not mean that the school nominates them? How are they actually selected when the Minister said "randomly selected"? Was it by computer?

I would like to assure Mr Lim Biow Chuan that MOE does not select the students. The student sample is selected by the OECD and the OECD has statistical agencies that advise them on how to ensure that the students they pick for the test are representative of the cohort of students in the entire school system. And it is just not in Singapore but all over the world. That is why the results are meaningful and comparable across different countries. I would like to assure Mr Lim that we have no hand in picking the students.