Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Aleksandre Jejelava held the presentation on the TIMSS and PISA international surveys and the results of the state evaluation for the journalists. The surveys conducted in 2015-2016 are related to learning outcomes, dynamics and factors that influence the students’ achievements.

According to the international surveys, the results of Georgia in mathematics and natural history are improved compared to the previous years. However, despite the positive dynamics, Georgia’s outcome does not reach the international average rate.

International and state assessments allow the countries to get acquainted with their educational outcomes. The Ministry of Education plans to organize a wide range of discussions on the above-mentioned outcomes in the nearest future with media and interested groups of society.

State and international assessments are guided by the National Assessment and Examinations Center of Georgia. The Center is going to hold a conference on June 3-4 with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and “Millennium Challenge Account – Georgia”, aiming to inform the society and the education policy-makers on the situation existing in teaching and learning of mathematics and natural sciences in the school education system, initiation of a broad dialogue for provision of equal opportunities for quality of education and learning.

International Survey of TIMSS

TIMSS studies the achievements of pupils in mathematics and natural sciences. According to the results of 2015, the achievements of Georgian pupils in mathematics and natural science are far behind the international average rate of TIMSS (500) in both the 4^th and 8^th grades.

22% of the fourth grade pupils and 28% of the eighth grade pupils do not even have minimal knowledge in mathematics. The same result was shown in natural science in 26% of the fourth grade pupils and 30% of the eighth grade pupils. 

Results of the pupils from the fourth grade up to the eighth grade are getting worse. Gaps in learning and teaching of mathematics at primary level create additional barriers in acquisition of new knowledge on the basic level.

International Survey of PISA

Target group of PISA is 15-year-old pupils and is based on general concept of literacy. The survey evaluates not only the knowledge provided by the curriculum, but also its integrity in practice.

According to the results, the average rate of achievement of the Georgian pupils in mathematics and natural science is low. Half of the pupils do not possess basic competences in natural sciences.

State Assessment

State assessment reveals substantial difference between the planned and achieved national curriculum. In the 9^th grade, 30.3% of pupils in mathematics, 34.8% of pupils in physics, 49.1% in chemistry and 13.3% in biology is not able to overcome minimum requirements provided for in the national curriculum.

The survey has shown a very low outcome in execution of the tasks that require discussion and the ability to solve the problem.

In terms of equal opportunities for learning, the survey shows that the achievements of rural pupils in mathematics and natural sciences are substantially behind the achievements of their peers in urban areas. Superiority of private school pupils compared to the public school pupils are obvious.

Link: http://naec.ge/#/ge/post/1603

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Georgia has been participating in the TIMSS survey since 2007. It is conducted in every four years and studies the achievements of pupils of the fourth and eighth grades in mathematics and natural sciences. More than 600 000 pupils take part in the most large-scale international educational assessment.

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International survey of PISA is conducted in every three years and examines not mastering of the school program by the pupils, but how well the students are prepared for active and full-fledged social life. PISA has been conducting since 2000 and studies level of knowledge in three areas: reading, mathematics and natural sciences. 

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The state assessment achievement test is fully based on the national curriculum. Therefore, it gives us an opportunity to analyze and compare what we have planned, what we have set as a goal (national curriculum) and what we have achieved (learning outcomes of pupils - achieved national curriculum).