Academic Performance Declines Among Students in Cyprus

Cypriot teachers are sounding the alarm as international studies on student performance reveal discouraging results. Every year, the indicators of knowledge quality in literature, mathematics, and natural sciences are on the decline.

According to the results of the international Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, 61% of Cypriot students struggle to comprehend what they read, 53% have difficulty with basic math tasks, and 52% face challenges in grasping natural sciences. According to the PISA survey, Cyprus ranks 62nd out of 81 countries included in the study in terms of overall academic performance.

In mathematics, Cypriot students scored 418 points (average score: 472) and shared the 48th-50th positions.

In natural sciences, they scored 411 points (average score: 480) and shared the 52nd-61st positions.

In reading comprehension, they scored 381 points (average score: 468) and shared the 62nd-65th positions.

The study notes that girls outperform boys in all three knowledge areas included in the research. From a socio-economic perspective, the results indicate a significant difference in performance between students from affluent and poor families.

The PISA study was first conducted in 2000 in OECD countries and OECD partner countries, and has been conducted every three years since then. In 2022, the program covered 81 states and territories, with approximately 690 thousand students participating in the testing.

Compared to the previous participation of Cyprus in the program, there is a trend of declining academic performance in all directions.

The world's most intelligent students study in Singapore, Japan, and Korea, while the top students in Europe are Estonians and Swiss.