Families’ interest in their kids’ education is falling around the globe as scores drop, test shows

Families’ interest in their kids’ education is falling in many high-income countries as school systems struggle with plunging test scores, according to newly released results from a standardized test taken by 15-year-olds around the world.

Over 760,000 teenagers in dozens of countries took the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) last year. Results released show average scores in math, reading, and science are all at their lowest point in PISA history among highly developed economies. That includes continued declines in reading and math scores in the U.S.

China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea scored the highest marks on the test. Estonia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand also did well.

The key to why scores are falling so widely may be found in an accompanying survey taken by students.

Compared with the 2022 results, almost every country saw a drop in families' support for their kids' education, especially for boys, as measured by questions about how often parents talk to their kids about their schoolwork or take an interest in their learning.

“Parents see themselves more as a client of the school, not as someone who takes personal interest,” said Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which runs the PISA test.

Students who said a family member asks them at least weekly what they did in school that day scored around 35 points higher on the PISA science test—equivalent to over a year and a half of learning—compared with students whose families take less interest. That number includes adjustments for socioeconomic differences.

Digital distraction is another factor. Over a quarter of students in high-income countries complained that their classmates got distracted by digital devices in most or every science class. In countries with strong policies controlling the use of cellphones in schools, distraction rates were lower.

There’s undoubtedly a strong association between students using digital devices for leisure and lower test scores, Schleicher said. When tech is used for learning, however, the results are more nuanced.

Countries where high schoolers reported using digital devices for around two to three hours per day in school saw higher test scores, but scores fell once tech use climbed beyond that.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.