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The state government of Gujarat has signed an agreement with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to perform the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test for students of State government schools.

Details:

The agreement was signed between Ratnakanwar Gadhvicharan (Samagra Shiksha project director) and Kevin O’Brien from the OECD.
- It was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Gujarat (Bhupendra Patel) and OECD’s Paris director (Andreas Schleicher) for Education and Skills.
On this occasion, the OECD’s Paris director praised the Gujarat government's Gyanshakti residential school project expressing that it had the potential for replication internationally.

Significance of the agreement:

Gujarat became the first Indian state to sign such an agreement.
It will improve the reading, mathematics and science knowledge of the students.
It will improve the critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication skills of the students.
It will help in achieving the aim of ensuring quality learning outcomes in government schools.

About PISA:

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations.
- In 2000, the PISA exercise was first performed and then it is conducted every three years.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PISA 2021 was postponed to 2022.
PISA is a global exercise where students from different countries are put under a two-hour test to measure their skills and knowledge; mainly in science, reading, and mathematics.
- PISA test questions don't measure the memorization of facts.
- The test demand that students draw on real-world problem-solving skills and knowledge.
The main objective of the exercise is to evaluate educational systems around the world by measuring 15-year-old school students' performance in mathematics, science, and reading.
It aims to provide comparable data to facilitate countries to improve their education policies and outcomes.
Significance
- It provides assessments of educational attainment that are useful in the process of designing education policymaking at both national and international levels.
- It provides regular assessments within a common, internationally agreed framework; by evaluating students learning that can help in understanding the root of variation in performances within and between countries.
PISA 2022
- 85 countries participated in PISA 2022 in September 2022.
- Around 6,300 students aged between 15-years-3-months and 16 years-2-months at the time of assessment participate in the PISA 2022.
- Three key learning subject areas are tested: reading literacy, mathematics, and science
- The Main Survey result is yet to be released.
The latest PISA results information is PISA 2018 results;

- China topped the list with a mean score of 1,736.
- Singapore at the second spot and Estonia at the third spot.

India and PISA:

India last participated in PISA 2009, and it ranked poorly at 73rd among 74 countries, above only Kyrgyzstan.
In 2019, the then-human resource development ministry (Presently Education Ministry) had taken the decision to participate in PISA 2021 (Postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). It was decided that students from Chandigarh and a few adjoining areas would have represented India.
In July, the Minister of state for education updated the Lok Sabha that the government had decided not to participate in PISA 2022 due to the impact of pandemic-induced school closure on learning levels.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

In 1948, the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) was established to help administer the Marshall Plan; the program for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.
- In 1961, the OEEC was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the membership was extended to non-European states; the USA and Canada.
It was founded to facilitate economic progress and world trade.
Currently, OCDE is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries.
- India is not a member of the OECD.
The member countries describe themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, and coordinate the domestic and international policies of its members.
The majorities of OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.
- As of 2017, the OECD member countries collectively comprised 62.2% of Global nominal GDP and 42.8% of global GDP at purchasing power parity.
- The OECD is an official United Nations observer.
The OECD is funded by contributions from member countries.
The OECD's headquarters are in Paris, France.

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Q.Consider the following Statements;

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
PISA evaluates educational systems around the world by measuring 15-year-old school students' performance in mathematics, science, and reading.
USA ranked first in the latest PISA 2018 results.

Which of the following statement is/are incorrect?

(A) 1 and 2 only

(B) 2 and 3 only

(D) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations.

Statement 2 is correct: The main objective of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exercise is to evaluate educational systems around the world by measuring 15-year-old school students' performance in mathematics, science and reading.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The latest PISA results information is PISA 2018 results; China topped the list with a mean score of 1,736.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/state-signs-deal-with-oecd-to-hold-pisa-test-for-govt-school-students-8424494/

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