WELLINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's student performance in science and mathematics has improved or stabilized after more than 20 years of decline, while reading fell to a new low, according to the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
New Zealand students remained above the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average in all three subjects, ranking ninth in reading, 10th in science and 16th in mathematics, broadly similar to 2022 results, a government statement said on Tuesday.
New Zealand's average science score rose from 504 to 509 points, while mathematics increased by one point to 480. Reading fell four points to 497, driven by a decline in boys' scores. The changes were statistically insignificant, Radio New Zealand reported.
Positively, New Zealand students were amongst the highest performers in computational problem-solving, the statement said.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said in the statement that the results indicated achievement was stabilizing after years of decline, but more needed to be done to raise performance.
However, New Zealand did not meet the OECD participation requirements for PISA 2025, with only 52 percent of selected schools and 76 percent of students participating. The results may therefore be more positive than those from a fully representative sample and should be treated with caution, the statement said.
Nearly a quarter of New Zealand students were low performers in reading, while 29 percent were low performers in mathematics, according to the PISA 2025 results. ■