
PISA, a programme of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), measures15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics, and science knowledgeand skills to meet real-life challenges. In Vietnam, the 2022 surveycovered 6,068 students of178 schools, representing about 939,500 students aged 15 nationwide.
Results show that the average score ofVietnamese students in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science ranked34th of the 81 countries/economies in the list, and was only second to Singaporeamong the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Vietnam stood at the 31st position among the 81 countries/economies in mathematics, 34th inreading, and 35th in science.
Among the countries sharing a similar socio-economicstatus, the mathematics score of Vietnamese students was among the highest,only following Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), and the Republic of Korea.
The department said the findings indicate that higher spending oneducation is linked with better results in PISA mathematical performance, butVietnam is a typical example of high academic results despite limitedinvestment in education.
Education spending for each studentaged 6 - 15 was only about 13,800 USD in Vietnam but reached 75,000 USD in OECD economies. However, the average score of Vietnamese students inmathematics was 438 points, one of the highest among the countries/territories witha similar socio-economic status.
Besides, about 13% of students withdisadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnam gained high scores in mathematics,compared to the OECD average of 10%, the department elaborated.
It cited the OECD as finding that inmathematics, 72% of Vietnamese students achieved at least Level 2 proficiency,surpassing the OECD average of 69%. Meanwhile, only 5% reached the topperformer status (Level 5 or 6), compared to the OECD average of 9%.
About 77% of Vietnamesestudents achieved Level 2 or higher in reading proficiency, but only 1% reachedthe top performer status (Level 5 or higher), exceeding the respective OECDaverages of 74% and 7%.
In science, 79% of students inthe country achieved at least Level 2 proficiency, higher than the OECD averageof 76%. However, only 2% secured the top performer status (Level 5 or 6), comparedto the average of 7%, the survey revealed.
Vietnam joined in PISA in 2012./.