Serbia’s Schoolchildren Perform below PISA Average Score in Math, Reading and Science

School(BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/DS)

By scores in mathematics, reading and science Serbia’s schoolchildren performed below the average reported in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which compiled a report based on the scores of the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, published on Dec. 5.

PISA measures 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading to evaluate their ability to solve complex problems, think critically and communicate efficiently.

The share of Serbia’s schoolchildren among the best performing in at least one of the domains measured is below the average in the OECD member countries, according to the report. At the same time, a smaller share of Serbia’s pupils compared to the OECD average achieved the minimum level in all three subjects. Serbia’s 2022 average score remains at the 2018 level in math, reading and science and has been relatively stable over the past decade, it is said in the summary on Serbia.

In the period from 2018 to 2022, the gap between Serbia’s schoolchildren with best performance and poorest performance has narrowed in math and reading, while it has not changed much in science. The report shows that boys in Serbia are better in math than girls, while girls are much better at reading. The share of girls and boys with lower math performance is similar (44 and 42 percent respectively), while the difference is larger in reading literacy (43 and 30 percent respectively).

In 2022, 86 of schoolchildren in Serbia said they made friends easily, while the average in the OECD countries is 76 percent. Also, 13 percent of school children said they felt lonely at school, and 13 percent they felt as “outsiders” at schools, compared to the OECD average of 16 and 17 percent respectively. Testing revealed that schoolchildren’s satisfaction with their life has declined in a number of countries and economies over the past few years. In Serbia, it stands at 13 percent.