Türkiye Increased its PISA Ranking, Inequality Warning from Eğitim-İş

According to the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results published by the OECD, which measures the ability of 15-year-old students to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to overcome real-life challenges, Turkey increased its ranking in all fields and was above the OECD average in the field of science and reading skills. Türkiye's ranking; It rose 15 places in science, 18 places in reading skills, and 11 places in mathematics.

While Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said, "Our PISA success is on the agenda in the world. Our scores increased after 2015. We saved education from the tutelage of private teaching institutions and success came", while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defined those who criticized the data as a "complex mentality". While the government presented the results as indicators of success, Eğitim-İş approached the picture through socioeconomic inequalities. Kadem Özbay, Chairman of Eğitim-İş, argued that the increase in Türkiye's average was mainly due to the performance of socioeconomically advantaged students. Özbay stated that there was no significant increase in the mathematics scores of poor students. Özbay said, “The data tells a story of inequality, not a story of success.”

"THE DIFFERENCE HAS GROWED"

Noting that the difference in mathematics achievement between disadvantaged students and their advantaged peers is 4.8 years, 4.1 years in science and 3.7 years in reading, Özbay pointed out that the difference between poor and wealthy students in mathematics in Turkey has grown in the last three years. Stating that in Turkey, one in every three students in mathematics, one in every four students in reading, and one in every five students in science are below the basic proficiency level, Özbay stated that the majority of these students are disadvantaged children.

BIG GAP IN SUCCESS

The difference in the socioeconomic distribution of high-level performing students also attracted attention. According to the union, while 20 out of every 100 advantaged students in Turkey showed high level success in mathematics, this rate was only 2 for disadvantaged students. Eğitim-İş announced that the increase in the rate of students with high levels of performance in mathematics and reading in the last 10 years was mainly due to advantaged students.

THE TYPE OF SCHOOL DETERMINES

The union also emphasized that student success differs sharply according to school types. It was stated that Turkey ranked third among 89 countries, where success differs depending on which school you attend. It was stated that the learning difference between students studying in science high schools and vocational high schools is approximately 10 years in mathematics, 9 years in science and 8 years in reading.

'SYSTEM MUST CHANGE'

Eğitim-İş pointed out that PISA results do not reflect the educational conditions of all children in Turkey. While it was stated that more than one third of the students in Turkey experienced financial deprivation, it was stated that more than 1.3 million children were not included in the scope of PISA. Union; He argued that children who spend most of the week in MESEM businesses, who are enrolled in open high schools, who are not enrolled in school at all, or who are pushed out of the education system, do not appear in this "success" table. Eğitim-İş stated that success in education cannot be measured only by the number of students with high scores and demanded that the exam-centered system that separates students according to school types be changed. The union called for ensuring that every child has access to equal and quality public education.