International study shows England is on the way to being world class

ENGLAND – Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, and Schools Minister, Jim Knight have welcomed the results from a major international study showing that England’s 10 and 14-year-olds are the highest-achieving overall in maths and science among the European countries in the study.

England outperformed countries including Australia, Sweden, Scotland, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Austria as well as NZ.

Ministers praised the hard work of pupils and teachers and said there is still more to do as we aspire to be truly world class.

The gap between Pacific Rim countries and England has closed significantly since the previous study in 2003, but we need to make sure we are learning from the world’s best as we look to improve even further.

They added that as well as getting good results, we also need to make sure that our pupils enjoy learning about maths and science.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 (TIMSS) shows:

• English pupils are ranked in the top five for science at age 14;

• performance in maths at age 14 has significantly improved – we have risen 11 places since 2003 to seventh place;

• England is the most consistently high-achieving European country overall across both age groups and both subjects;

• pupils in the Pacific Rim countries of Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Korea are top performers in mathematics and science and only Singapore and Taiwan outperform pupils in England at both ages and in both subjects.

Mr Balls said: “Our teenagers are leading Europe and teachers can be really proud of our position in maths and science.

“This shows we are on the way to being world class but as we move towards this goal we need to make sure every child has fun in the classroom as well as achieving good results.

“The study shows they value maths and science but even while their results are improving they are enjoying it less than in 2003. We want our children to go on to exciting careers and become the scientists, engineers and mathematicians of the future.

“We need our teenagers to be really inspired by their learning so that they want to go on to further study in these subjects so enjoyment is really important.

“That is why we are investing massively in reforms to help children and young people enjoy learning about maths and science. I know that if they enjoy it and understand how it applies to their every day lives they will be inspired to further their knowledge and go on to pursue exciting careers.”