Policies to correct imbalances in math skills sought

Dubai: The significant imbalance between boys and girls in the achievement score in 2007 TIMSS evaluation is a wake up call for Dubai schools, said an expert from World Bank.

"The over-representation of boys in the low benchmark category of scores in maths in grade 8 is a piece of information policy-makers and educators in Dubai cannot afford to ignore, also is the widening gap of achievement between the public and private schools," Juan Manuel Moreno, senior education specialist with the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa Region, said, pointing out the significance of international evaluations in reforming the educational system.

He was speaking at a conference at Dubai Men's College yesterday where teachers, principals and policy-makers convened to discuss the evaluation results of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) 2007.

Benchmarks

A total of 6,259 students from grade 4 and grade 8 from both private and public schools in Dubai participated in the international evaluation system, which was an eye-opener to the inadequate standards in maths and science when pitted against the international benchmarks.

The TIMSS assessment identified that while Dubai outperforms its Arab neighbours, its overall score of 461 in mathematics and 489 in science were below the global average in grade 4 and 8, which stands at 500. In addition, the scores demonstrated a wide disparity in the performance of schools offering different curriculums.

In Dubai, the schools that offer the UK curriculum outperformed all others with a national average of 505 and 522 in mathematics and science respectively closely followed by Indian schools following CBSE curriculums. Their average national score stands at 474 in mathematics and 507 in science. On gender-wise performance, though there were no differences in the average scale scores for boys and girls at grade 4 internationally, but the gender difference is 14 score points in favour of girls.

For instance, at grade 8 in Mathematics, more than one quarter of the boys and girls in Dubai did not achieve the low international benchmark scale that is set at 400, but the percentage of boys at low benchmark scale was higher. Likewise, at grade 4 science, while 22 per cent of girls failed to achieve the low international benchmark, 33 per cent boys were in the low performing category.

Fatma Al Merri, chief executive of the Dubai Schools Agency that overseas TIMMS evaluation in Dubai schools, said the international study of student achievement gives a baseline for their efforts in improving the education standards. "We are in the process of evaluating the results emerged from TIMMS to give us an insight into the shortcomings. We are waiting for the second cycle of TIMMS evaluation that is due in 2011 and do a comparative analysis to address the core issues."