When the OECD's Pisa 2025 knowledge assessment of how 15-year-old students perform in science, reading and mathematics was presented on Tuesday morning, it was a cold shower for Sweden.
Only a third of Swedish 15-year-olds reach what the OECD defines as a basic level in reading comprehension and mathematics.
It can only be noted that there is a broad decline in the results, says Samuel Sollerman, a researcher in knowledge measurements in mathematics at Stockholm University.
“Wider gaps”
The Swedish results are the worst since the measurements began 25 years ago.
In 2003, the scale was set for mathematics and if you compare then with now, the decline is large (in mathematics). If you compare now, the low-performing students have lost more, over time it may not be the same large decline in mathematics, but the gaps between students have increased and that is worrying, says Sollerman.
According to Samuel Sollerman, it is difficult to say what the decline is due to. But when he looks at the report, he sees certain trends.
It is certainly true that Swedish students are less able. But there are also signs that Swedish students are not making enough of an effort. The report shows that Swedish students answer quickly and incorrectly. They do so to a greater extent than the OECD average, which may indicate that they have not done their best.
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Sollerman is concerned about the results in Pisa 2025, but at the same time believes that it is important to look at more measurements than just this one.
In the latest Prim survey that came out a few years ago, the results pointed a little upwards. Before you worry too much, you have to look at other things, like Prim or national exams. Then you have to investigate what this is due to. Sometimes I wonder what our students can do. They probably can do no fewer things than my generation could when we were young, but they can probably do other things, he says.
