Irish students are among the best readers in the world.
A major new report finds that Ireland’s 15-year-olds rank fourth out of 36 OECD countries for literacy.
Ireland came in eighth of 77 countries involved in the PISA study – which also saw them ranked 3rd in the EU.
Meanwhile Ireland’s teens were ranked 17th in science and 16th in maths.
The study takes place every three years.
Caroline McKeown, national project manager for PISA, says the number of top achievers in science and maths has fallen since the last study in 2015.
“Over time there has been a bit of receding in the higher achievers in maths and in science and that is something we can look at moving forward,” she said.
“But we are above the OECD average significantly in maths and science despite having a slightly lower percentage of students at that higher end of the spectrum in Ireland.”
The report found that, when it comes to reading, Ireland has significantly fewer low-performing students and significantly more high-performing students than the OECD average.
Meanwhile, it found that there is no major skills gap between different Irish schools when it comes to reading – something that sets Ireland apart from many other developed countries.
The Minister for Education Joe McHugh said this was “particularly heartening to see” and said this could be attributed to the success of the Deis programme.
“Irish students have extremely high standards when it comes to reading, among the best there is,” he said.
“The number of low achieving students is among the lowest in the 77 countries tested.
“Overall in maths and science results are relatively stable and our students are performing at an above average level, yet we can improve further.
“I am confident that the changes which the Junior Cycle is bringing will help the development of our students’ critical thinking. It is no longer just about the facts and knowledge that we teach our young people but helping them see how they can put that into use.”
He said his department is committed to promoting the uptake of STEM subjects, particularly among young women.
HE said officials would consider the PISA results while drafting the next STEM Implementation Plan from 2020.
