Indian students rank 2nd last in global test

New Delhi, Jan., 9 : India is having more education power houses like IIT and IIM, but when 15-year-old children were taken for Global test it was found that Indians rank second last in the test. The test was conducted on English, Science and Mathematical abilities.

Fifteen-year-old Indians were put for the first time on a global testing stage on their reading, math and science abilities.

India ranked second last among the 73 countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted annually to evaluate education systems worldwide by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Secretariat. The survey is based on two-hour tests that half a million students are put through.

China was appearing for Global tests for the first time, but they stood first in the test. The students in China broke the complex mathematical problems and they stood good in the tests. China’s Shanghai province, which participated in PISA for the first time, scored the highest in reading. It also topped the charts in mathematics and science.

“More than one-quarter of Shanghai’s 15-year-olds demonstrated advanced mathematical thinking skills to solve complex problems, compared to an OECD average of just 3%,” noted the analysis.

Fifteen-year-old Indians on a global stage stood second to last, only beating Kyrgyzstan when tested on their reading, math and science abilities. The average 15-year-old Indian is over 200 points behind the global topper. Comparing scores, experts estimate that an Indian eighth grader is at the level of a South Korean third grader in math abilities or a second-year student from Shanghai when it comes to reading skills.

Clearly, India will have to ramp up its efforts and get serious about what goes on in its schools. “Better educational outcomes are a strong predictor for future economic growth,” OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria told.

Shaheen Mistry, CEO of Teach for India programme, said, “I am glad that now there is data that lets people know how far we still have to go.”