The results of the tri-annual survey of international fifteen year-old classmates are in. The Czech system did not have any drastic changes from the 2015 results but some interesting facts in the report make for good reading. The survey focuses on reading, mathematical and scientific literacy as well as on pupils’ satisfaction. Here are some summary points from PISA 2018.
Czech students score above the OECD average in Math and Sciences, and in 2018 even managed to reverse a long term drop in overall scores. In reading the students survey about average, which is an improvement from the below average results in 2015. The interesting point about reading is that the Czech students are not so much improving as the rest of the countries scoring lower, setting an easier target for everyone. Reading and critical thinking is a long-term Czech weak point in the field of education.
Within the country the results also vary greatly. On average, OECD countries see socioeconomic status of families as a major hurdle to success but in terms of geography the results are stable. In Czechia the opposite is true. There are great differences in geographical areas, most pronounced in the Czech vs. Moravia split, with some notable exceptions. Whereas the socioeconomic issue does not seem to affect results in the Czech math and science results. Prague does seem to score the best all around.
As for the question concerning private, religion based and public schools, the public schools do the best. The religious based schools and private school’s results are falling. There is a footnote that the survey results from the religion based and private schools did not make an adequate sample to make the results a true conclusion, but the difference was significant across all types of schools.
Furthermore, small schools tended to have less impressive results then big ones. Girls are better readers then boys. There is a continued shortage of enthusiastic teachers coupled by a lack of cooperation between peers. Bullying is an above average problem in Czechia but the girls and boys are happy in general. Here you can find the overall results of the international PISA 2018. The Chinese have the best results.
