Publication of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Date published: 3 December 2019

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) provides the opportunity to compare the achievement of 15-year-old pupils both internationally and across the UK.

PISA is a measure of young people’s ability to apply their knowledge to real life challenges involving reading, mathematics and science.

Key findings from the report include:

• Pupils in Northern Ireland had a mean reading score of 501 and performed above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average.
• The most disadvantaged pupils in Northern Ireland had a mean reading score significantly above their peers across the OECD (476 and 445 respectively)
• The gap in performance between the most and least disadvantaged pupils in Northern Ireland (62 points) was smaller than the OECD average of 89 points and pupils in Northern Ireland were relatively well able to overcome the disadvantages of their background, than across the OECD countries on average.
• Northern Ireland’s mean score in mathematics (492) has remained stable and similar to the OECD average (489) since PISA 2006.
• Northern Ireland’s mean score in science (491) was at the OECD average (489). However, this has shown a decline over time.
• Girls significantly outperformed boys in Northern Ireland in science, - girls achieved a score of 500 while boys achieved 483.
• Pupil well-being questions revealed that 93% of pupils felt happy sometimes or always in Northern Ireland, compared to 91% in the OECD countries.
• Principals in Northern Ireland reported fewer barriers to learning caused by pupil behaviour and truancy.