Swedish Ninth-Graders Lost a Year of Reading
In reading comprehension, Swedish ninth-graders have lost knowledge equivalent to one year of learning.
Swedish 15-year-olds have never had such poor knowledge in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science, the PISA survey shows. The other Nordic countries also show historically low levels.
It is mainly the knowledge of Swedish ninth-graders in mathematics and reading comprehension that has deteriorated, while knowledge in science remains at the same low level as the previous measurement in 2022.
The biggest loss is in reading comprehension, where Sweden loses 21 points.
“According to the OECD, this corresponds to about one year of knowledge for a 15-year-old,” says Anna Castberg, head of the Swedish National Agency for Education’s analysis department, at a press conference.
Similar Results in Other Countries
The other Nordic countries also show historically low levels, according to the National Agency for Education’s compilation of the results.
According to the knowledge measurement, Sweden is still at the OECD average, and not below, as several countries are falling behind. Previously strong countries such as Singapore and South Korea are also losing ground, especially in reading comprehension.
“Overall, it is a bleak picture for 15-year-olds. It is clear that we in Sweden and in other countries will need to place a great deal of focus on each individual student,” says Anna Castberg.
The OECD’s Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, writes in his analysis that the decline in reading comprehension may be partly due to increased reading on screens.
At a press conference, Minister of Education and Integration Simona Mohamsson focused particularly on screens.
“The effects of increased screen time and reduced reading have now hit home with full force,” she says.
Mohamsson warns that Sweden and other OECD countries are now on the verge of having a “generation of functional illiterates” if screens do not disappear from schools.
“To put it bluntly: we are in the middle of a screen pandemic.”
2022 Also Saw a Deterioration
PISA is an international study that measures 15-year-old school students’ knowledge in the subjects of mathematics, reading comprehension, and science.
The survey is conducted every three years by the OECD. In 2022, the PISA survey showed that Swedish students had worsened their results in both mathematics and reading comprehension compared to 2018.
Source: SVT Nyheter (in Swedish)