Dubai's private schools improve PISA scores, while UAE averages fall

The UAE continues to to perform below average in science, mathematics and reading, the latest round of results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show.

More than 540,000 15-year-old students in 72 countries were tested on science, reading, maths, and collaborative problem solving in 2015. The test, held every three years, is organised by the Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The OECD average in 2015 was 493 in science, 493 in reading, and 490 in maths.

For the UAE, the mean score for science was 437, down 12 points from 2012 results; the mean score for maths was 427, down seven points; while the mean score for reading was 434, down eight points from the previous round of tests.

The country moved up one place in maths, but fell two places in science and reading.

The UAE's National Agenda aims to place the UAE among the top 20 performing countries on the PISA test by 2021.

In Dubai, private schools scored at or above the average in science (497) and reading (493). While maths scores improved by three points to 484, they still remain under the OECD average.

In 2015, 6,798 students from Dubai schools were sampled, which represent a 36.7% increase from 2012.

Commenting on Dubai's results, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said: "By creating better collaboration within our schools, we have started seeing a positive shift which has enabled our students to get equipped with improved skills. Our schools are committed to continue improving their quality by working together with the community to enable a better future for all and achieve the goals outlined in the UAE National Agenda 2021."

Globally, the top five performing OECD countries were Singapore, which ranked first, followed by Japan, Estonia, Taipei, and Finland

The main focus in 2015 was on science. According to the report, while spending per student in primary and secondary education increased by almost 20% since 2006 in OECD countries alone, only 12 of the 72 countries and economies assessed in PISA saw their science performance improve over this period.