Canada 3rd in world survey of science students

Posted on December 4, 2007 in Education Debates

TheStar.com – News – Canada 3rd in world survey of science students
Ontario 15-year-olds score highest among all ten provinces in OECD study
December 04, 2007
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS – Finnish students came out on top of a worldwide education study on science performance by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development published today.

But after Finnish students, 15-year-olds from Hong Kong and Canada came in at second and third place in proficiency at science, the focus of this year’s study.

Within Canada, Ontario scored the highest of all ten provinces.

The report surveyed more than 400,000 15-year-old students in 57 countries.

The examinations centred on a science test, but students were also tested on math and reading comprehension.

Britain finished in 14th place – France came in at 25th place and The United States followed about halfway down the list, at No. 29.

Ontario students scored among the best in the world, something the chief assessment officer for the Education Quality Accountability Office, an arms-length agency of the Ontario government, noted their performance was significantly better than how students fared in the year 2000.

“It bodes well for more than just the fact that (the students) may go on to pursue sciences,” said Victoria Hemming.

“I think it says that the foundation skills these students have in reading, mathematics and science prepares (them) for whatever role they have in future education.”

Thirty countries make up the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which runs the international tests carried out every three years. The test also was administered to students in 27 countries or jurisdictions that are not part of the industrialized group.

On the math test, students in Taiwan, Finland and Hong Kong topped the charts. In reading, South Korea came out on top, followed by Finland and Hong Kong.

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