Thai students ranked lower on every PISA index

The assessment is conducted annually, and Thailand has shown a downward trend in the last 10 years. The current mean score is lower than those for Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia.

Thailand is also among the seven countries where reading performance was already deteriorating before the pandemic. The group also includes Costa Rica, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and Sweden.

Almost 700,000 15-year-old students from 81 OECD members and partner economies participated in the test, making 2022 PISA the first large-scale study to collect data on student performance, well-being, and equity before and after the Covid-19 disruptions.

OECD reported that the assessment saw an “unprecedented drop” in performance overall.

“Compared to 2018, mean performance fell by 10 score points in reading and by almost 15 score points in mathematics, which is equivalent to three-quarters of a year's worth of learning,” the report said.

Experts said the result reflects the relationship between investment in education and average performance.

“Countries like South Korea and Singapore have demonstrated that it is possible to establish a top-tier education system even when starting from a relatively low-income level, by prioritising the quality of teaching over the size of classes and funding mechanisms that align resources with needs.”