Why Vietnam Scores Better Than The Philippines in PISA Results: A Comparison and Contrast
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate educational systems by measuring 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance in mathematics, science, and reading. In this blog post, we will compare and contrast the PISA results of Vietnam and the Philippines, two Southeast Asian countries with different educational outcomes.
PISA Scores: Vietnam vs. Philippines
In the 2022 PISA assessment, Vietnam scored 469 points in mathematics, 462 points in reading, and 472 points in science. These scores are close to the OECD average. On the other hand, the Philippines scored 355 in mathematics, 347 in reading, and 373 in science, which are significantly below the OECD average.
Key Factors Contributing to Vietnam’s Higher Scores
Several factors contribute to Vietnam’s higher PISA scores compared to the Philippines.
Socio-Economic Factors
In Vietnam, socio-economically advantaged students outperformed disadvantaged students by 78 score points in mathematics. This gap is smaller than the average difference between the two groups across OECD countries. This suggests that socio-economic status has less impact on student performance in Vietnam than in other countries, including the Philippines.
School Closures Due to COVID-19
In Vietnam, 40% of students reported that their school building was closed for more than three months due to COVID-19. On average across OECD countries, 51% of students experienced similarly long school closures. This indicates that Vietnamese students had less disruption in their learning due to the pandemic.
Challenges for the Philippines
The Philippines faces several challenges that may contribute to its lower PISA scores.
Lower Proficiency Levels
In the Philippines, only 16% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics. At a minimum, these students can interpret and recognize, without direct instructions, how a simple situation can be represented mathematically. This is significantly less than the OECD average of 69%.
Socio-Economic Disparities
The Philippines also faces socio-economic disparities that may affect student performance. Further research is needed to understand the impact of these disparities on PISA scores in the Philippines.
Conclusion
While both Vietnam and the Philippines face their own unique challenges, the PISA results highlight the success of Vietnam’s education system in achieving scores close to the OECD average. The Philippines, on the other hand, has room for improvement. By understanding the factors that contribute to these differences, both countries can learn from each other and work towards improving their education systems.