Dubai: Public and private schools across the UAE will take part in three international assessment tests during the current academic year, the Ministry of Education has announced.
The three tests include Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) .
The ministry is focusing on improving student attainment in these international tests as they are part of the UAE’s national goals which states the UAE will be among the 15 highest performing countries in TIMSS and among the 20 highest performing countries in PISA.
Aisha Al Merri, Director of Assessment and Examinations at the ministry, said teachers are going to be trained and prepared to help students to improve their attainment in these exams. She said the ministry will focus on training them, especially in maths and science for grades four and eight. She also stressed the importance of these tests, saying that the country will depend on them to measure the performance of students and base decisions and policies on them.
PISA is an international assessment conducted every three years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to evaluate the education systems by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old pupils in reading, science and mathematics.
