Pandemic blamed as Hong Kong pupils’ scores drop in global Pisa study

Pisa, or the Programme for International Student Assessment, found that Hong Kong secondary school students’ performance on reading and maths competency had fallen.

Researchers said the city’s pupils also dropped out of the top 10 for mother-tongue literacy. In 11th place, this was their worst performance since the global study began in 2000. The Pisa test is held every three years. Nearly 6,000 students, all aged 15, from more than 160 schools in Hong Kong took part in the Pisa test from May to July last year.

Professor Hau Kit-tai was the national project manager of Hong Kong Pisa 2022. Hau noted that the city’s score in reading likely fell because of school closures during the pandemic. Hau said educators should pay attention to future rounds of Pisa reading results to see if there was cause for concern.

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau said the Pisa study showed Hong Kong students’ overall scores continued to be better than the international average, and it commended the results despite challenges brought by the pandemic.

The bureau said the lack of face-to-face classes hurt the reading culture among pupils. It said it would do more research on students’ reading interests and abilities.

Quiz time

1. How did Hong Kong secondary school students perform in reading and maths competency?

2. When did the Pisa study begin?

3. Which group of students in Hong Kong took the Pisa test last year?

4. According to Professor Hau Kit-tai, why did Hong Kong’s reading score drop?

5. What does the Education Bureau plan to do in response to the study’s findings?

Professor Hau Kit-tai is a professor of educational psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Suggested answers

1. Their performance in reading and math competency has fallen.

2. The Pisa test began in 2000.

3. Fifteen-year-old students in Hong Kong took the test last year.

4. Professor Hau Kit-tai mentioned that the reading score dropped due to inconsistent studying habits during the pandemic and neglecting time spent on studying languages.

5. The Education Bureau plans to conduct an in-depth analysis and devise measures to address the reading interests and abilities of students in that age group.