วันพุธที่ 30 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Clever Chinese Children

         
“It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding.”                                               Proverbs 2:6
             
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a test using by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure the scholastic performance of pupils aged 15 around the world on Reading, Mathematics and Science. It was first performed in 2000 and repeated every three years. The scores from each test have been increasingly used for policy planning in many countries to improve the education system and the quality of education.
                In 2009, there were 470,000 pupils aged 15 years old from 65 nations and territories participated in the PISA test and in 2010; an additional 50,000 pupils representing 9 nations were tested.
The top 10 scores and countries of PISA 2009 results are as follows:


No.
Reading
scores
Mathematics
 scores
Science
scores
 1
 China: Shanghai 
 556 
 China: Shanghai 
 600 
 China: Shanghai 
 575 
 2
 Korea
 539
 Singapore
 562
 Finland
 554
 3
 Finland
 536
 Hong Kong
 555
 Hong Kong
 549
 4
 Hong Kong
 533
 Korea
 546
 Singapore
 542
 5
 Singapore
 526
 Chinese Taipei
 543
 Japan
 539
 6
 Canada
 524
 Finland
 541
 Korea
 538
 7
 New Zealand
 521
 Liechtenstein
 536
 New Zealand
 532
 8
 Japan
 520
 Switzerland
 534
 Canada
 529
 9
 Australia
 515
 Japan
 529
 Estonia
 528
 10 
 Netherlands
 508
 Canada
 527
 Australia
 527
 49
 Romania
 424
 Chile
 421
 Thailand
 425
 50
 Thailand
 421
 Mexico
 419
 Mexico
 416
 51
 Trinidad&T.
 416
 Thailand
 419
 Jordan
 415
Reading
Mathematics
Science
 PISA  average
 493
 PISA  average
 496
 PISA  average
 501


Thailand ranked 49 in Science with a score of 425 while the average score of PISA in this subject is 501 and the top ranking are pupils from Shanghai, China with scores of 575. Thai students placed 50th in reading with 421 scores lower than the average score of 493 in this subject and children from Shanghai are at the top place again with 556 scores. In mathematics area Thai students came in the 51th place with 419 scores while the average scores of this subject is 496 and again Shanghai’s students came in the top rank with high scores of 600. In conclusion, Thai students made scores under the average in all subjects.
It is noted that apart from students from mainland China who are in the top ranks, students from China: Hong Kong and China: Taipei are also placed in the top ten.       
Mr. Andreas Schleicher, an administrator from OECD who is responsible for the PISA test commented that China has an education system that is overtaking many Western countries and this clearly provides the most significant insight into how it is teaching the next generation incredible resilience. Students in nine provinces of China, including poor, middle-income and wealthier regions scored quite well. Chinese students in rural areas and in disadvantaged environments that have the tough backgrounds and the high levels of equity between the rich and the poor have incredible ability of resilience to success. What has helped the education in China develop rapidly probably comes from the deeply rooted philosophy that education is the key to success and an investment for the future.
        President Barack Obama gave his observation that “We (Americans) need to out-educate today or other countries will out-compete us tomorrow.” American students came in the 17th rank in area of reading, the 23rd place in science and the 31st place in mathematics in the latest PISA test.
        Having reading this article, I would like everyone to seriously consider improving the Thai education system. If we still leave our children to the responsibility of schools alone by paying under table expenses to the demanding schools as we have seen by the fasting protest of students against the unjust admission in Bangkok, it is doubtful that Thailand will be able to compete with any country in the future
John Dewey said “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
What do you think? L Amen

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