Australian student performance declining

HOW AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS COMPARE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

More than 600,000 students in 79 countries and regions took part in last year's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), including more than 14,000 Australian students in 740 schools. The results revealed:

READING

1. Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang (China)

2. Singapore

3. Macao (China)

4. Hong Kong (China)

5. Estonia

6. Canada

16. Australia

MATHS

1. Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang (China)

2. Singapore

3. Macao (China)

4. Hong Kong (China)

5. Chinese Taipei

6. Japan

29. Australia

SCIENCE

1. Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang (China)

2. Singapore

3. Macao (China)

4. Estonia

5. Japan

6. Finland

17. Australia

OVERALL

* The highest performer was the grouped provinces of Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang in China.

* The highest performing country was Singapore.

* Compared to the Chinese provinces, Australian students were roughly one-and-a-half school years lower in reading, around three-and-a-half years lower in maths and around three years lower in science.

* Compared to Singapore, Australians were one-and-one-third of a year lower in reading, around three years lower in maths and around one-and-three-quarter years lower in science.

(Source: PISA report)