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Hong Kong secondary school pupils have progressed in science in the recent world benchmark assessments in contrast with the last performance. However, their reading assessment has been worsening, dropping out of the top ten for the first time.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests the competency of 15-year-olds in three disciplines such as mathematics, science and reading once in three years. The just-concluded assessment was delayed for a year because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
From May to July last year, around 6,000 Hong Kong teenagers participated in the test.
Among the 81 places where the students have been assessed, the city jumped two spots to rank seventh in science, according to the latest assessment results released on Tuesday.
Hong Kong participants got an overall score of 520 points in science, which improved from 517 points in the last PISA in 2018.
However, the Hong Kong student's assessment in reading moved from 4th to 11th position with scores going down from 524 to 500 points.
In maths, Hong Kong students remain in 4th position with 540 points.
Chinese University professor Hau Kit-tai, who is the national project manager of Hong Kong PISA, said the decline in reading performance was likely due to more emphasis being put on the two other disciplines during COVID-19.
“If [pupils] had to choose one thing that they would do more and choose another thing they would do less, then likely they would work harder on maths and science, because after an hour of study, you would see that you really understand additional things, understand new things," he said.
"Whereas in reading, if you spend an hour on reading, probably you won't see obvious improvement in your languages."
Additionally, the Education Bureau responded that the drop in Hong Kong students reading performance to the suspension of face-to-face learning.
A spokesperson said authorities will work with researchers to draw up targeted measures and boost support for educators.
According to the study, 36 per cent of Hong Kong students reported facing academic challenges at least once a week when secondary schools were maintaining half-day sessions, a figure that is slightly above the global average.
But schools in the city were exceptional in supporting continuity of student learning during Covid, as three-quarters of students had engaged in daily online classes.
Hong Kong remained in second place in educational equity globally, the study noted, with 17 per cent of socio-economically disadvantaged students ranked in the top quartile in maths. Also, the city recorded immigrant pupils performing at the same standard as their local counterparts across all assessments.
香港中學生在科學方面表現出色，但在閱讀方面卻較差 - PISA
與上次的表現相比，香港中學生在最近的世界基準評估中在科學方面取得了進展。
然而，他們的閱讀評價卻每況愈下，首次跌出前十名。
國際學生評估計劃（PISA）每三年測試一次15歲學生在數學、科學和閱讀等三個學科方面的能力。 由於 Covid-19 疫情的爆發，剛結束的評估被推遲了一年。
去年5月至7月，約有6000名香港青少年參加了測試。
根據週二公佈的最新評估結果，在對學生進行評估的 81 個地點中，該市在科學方面躍升兩位，排名第七。
香港參與者的科學總分為520分，較2018年上一屆PISA的517分增加。
然而，香港學生的閱讀成績從第4位上升至第11位，分數從524分下降至500分。
數學方面，香港學生以540分繼續排名第四。
香港PISA國家專案經理、中文大學教授Hau Kit-tai表示，閱讀成績下降可能是由於在COVID-19期間更加重視其他兩個學科。
「如果（學生）必須選擇一件他們會多做的事情，並選擇另一件他們會少做的事情，那麼他們很可能會在數學和科學上更加努力，因為經過一個小時的學習，你會發現你真的理解了額外的知識。」事物，了解新事物，」他說。
“而在閱讀方面，如果你花一個小時閱讀，你的語言可能不會有明顯的改善。”
此外，教育局回應稱，本港學生閱讀成績下降，與面授學習暫停有關。
一位發言人表示，當局將與研究人員合作制定有針對性的措施並加強對教育工作者的支持。
研究顯示，36%的香港學生表示，當中學維持半日制課程時，每周至少面臨一次學業挑戰，這一數字略高於全球平均。
但在新冠疫情期間，該市的學校在支持學生連續學習方面表現出色，四分之三的學生每天參加線上課程。
研究指出，香港在全球教育公平方面仍排名第二，17%的社經弱勢學生在數學方面排名前四分之一。 此外，該市記錄的移民學生在所有評估中的表現與當地學生相同。
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