The study of PISA 2022 on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) is carried out by the University of Latvia Educational Research Institute, in which 5,373 pupils born in 2006 from 225 schools participated. Latvian PISA participants are mainly ninth graders (86%).
The study took place in 37 OECD countries and 44 partner countries, with 690,000 students worldwide.
Comparing the performance of Latvian students in 2018 and 2022, they have increased in natural sciences but decreased in mathematics and reading.
The study shows that the achievements of students in Rīga and cities in Latvia are still significantly better than the achievements of their peers in rural schools, moreover, the best achievements are in State gymnasiums [highest-level schools in Latvia according to specific performance criteria], followed by gymnasiums [second-highest level], weaker achievements are in high schools [schools of no specific achievement level providing education up to the final grade] and even worse – in secondary schools [schools providing education up to the 9th grade].
Latvia has considerably fewer pupils with low educational achievements, but there are also fewer excellent pupils with high results than the OECD average. This means that teachers in Latvia pay more attention to pupils who have poorer academic achievements and help improve success, but pay less attention to the very good pupils, said Rita Kiseļova, head of the study in Latvia.
The average achievements of Latvian students in mathematics (483 points) are higher than the average level of OECD countries (472 points). Latvian students with average achievements in mathematics (483 points) rank 10-19 among OECD countries and 14-23 among all Member States of the “PISA 2022” study (81 countries).
The average achievements of Latvian students in natural sciences (494 points) are higher than the average level of OECD countries (485 points). These results rank the achievements of Latvian students in natural sciences 11-25 among OECD countries and 15-22 among all countries that participated in the study in 2022 (81 countries).
The average achievement of Latvian pupils in reading is 475 points, which is at the level of the average results of OECD countries (476 points). With this performance, the results of Latvian pupils rank 16-28 among OECD countries and 20-32 among all study Member States in 2022.
In 2022, 72% of students in Latvia reported that they make friends easily at school (OECD average: 76%) and 77% felt that they belong at school (OECD average: 75%). Meanwhile, 19% reported feeling lonely at school, and 15% like an outsider or left out of things at school (OECD average: 16% and 17%). Compared to 2018, students’ sense of belonging at school did not change significantly in Latvia.
The full OECD report on Latvia can be read here.
