Finland tops PISA in reading and mathematics as well

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Finnish 15-year-olds have kept their high position in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in reading and mathematics.
      According to information on the latest PISA survey leaked to the German media, Finnish schoolchildren came out on top in mathematics, and second in reading, right after South Korea.
      Advance information from the PISA survey leaked last week revealed that Finnish kids topped the list in the natural sciences.
      According to Saturday's edition of the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper, South Korea and The Netherlands came right after Finland in mathematical skills. In reading skills, Canada was in third place after South Korea and Finland.
     
In scores on mathematics, Finland got 548 points, just one point more than South Korea. In reading, South Korea came ahead of Finland 565 points to 547.
      The newspaper article did not list all countries - only the top three as well as Germany's ranking.
      On Thursday last week it came out that Finland scored highest in the natural sciences, with The Netherlands coming in second and Canada third.
     
The PISA study is conducted every three years, focusing mainly on countries of the OECD. Since then, the number of countries has grown to 57.
      The first PISA study in 2000 focused on reading skills, and three years ago, the emphasis was on mathematics. Finnish schoolchildren were ranked among the top in all areas under investigation.
     
PISA gets considerable attention in Germany, and thanks to the high scores earned by Finnish schoolchildren, Finland has been seen as a model country for education in the German media.
      This is accompanied by expressions of concern over the state of Germany's own educational system, as German pupils tend to score only slightly above average.
      The PISA study will be officially made public in Berlin on Tuesday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  PISA Conference visits Finland to learn secrets of scholastic success (15.3.2005)
  Finnish teens place number one in comparison of math skills (25.11.2004)
  Finnish teens score high marks in latest PISA study (30.11.2007)

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