30th November 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) rankings have been published by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), and England has maintained its place in or near the top ten. Once again, Northern Ireland was the highest-ranking region in Europe for maths once again, just ahead of countries like Norway and Finland, praised for their education systems. England is ranked 15th in science at primary school level but climbs to 8th by secondary school. The school standards minister has stressed the importance of maintaining an international reputation in maths and science, as “we know maths and science are highly valued by employers and are linked to higher earnings”.
Once again, the TIMSS ranking is dominated by East Asian countries, with Singapore taking the top spot. The ranking is based on tests taken by 10 and 14 year olds across 57 different countries. The TIMSS, now running for 20 years, highlighted other trends, including a higher proportion of students feeling that school is a safe environment and smaller class sizes, although there is no clear link between class size and achievement level.
Despite major changes in its education system, England has fallen on place to 11th in maths, the losing one place from its previous ranking four years ago. More worryingly, England has fallen four places since 2007 in primary level maths. One of the aims and justifications for the major reforms in education during Michael Gove’s tenure as Education Secretary was to improve England’s standing in international rankings, particularly focusing on maths. The changes to school structures, curriculum and assessment, particularly in maths, and a reform of teacher training appear to have had little effect over this time period.
The government has said that maintaining its position despite a major shakeup is a positive sign. It expects the changes in primary school education, only introduced one year before the current testing, to filter through by the time the next ranking comes out in 2020, producing a more impressive boost in England’s performance. The National Association of Head Teachers in the other hand has said that the worsening teacher shortages and lack of specialist training will keep England out of the “premier league” when it comes to maths and science.