Portugal is below the OECD average. We are bad at doing math, but the worst thing is understanding texts.
It is the first time that Portugal has participated in this study, carried out by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), within the scope of the International Program for the Assessment of Adult Skills (PIAAC), and published this Tuesday.
Once was enough to make the Portuguese see that the education system has a lot of room for improvement — Portugal is below the OECD average in terms of both literacy and numeracy.
In fact, we are the penultimate country in a table of 31 countries headed by Finland, and we are only above Chile.
The report, prepared between 2022 and 2023, is based on a survey carried out with 3,160 people, aged between 16 and 65, explains the .
For example, with regard to the ability to read and writethe Portuguese scored, on average, 235 points, below the OECD average of 260 points: 42% of respondents (almost half) obtained scores corresponding to level 1 or below, that is, “comprise short texts and organized lists” e “can, at most, understand short and simple sentences”.
Os higher levels of this parameter, 4 and 5, were only reached by 4% of the Portuguese populationcompared to 12% of the general OECD population. 30% of survey participants scored so low that they are in the lowest two tiers.
As regards the numeracythat is, the ability to perform calculations, 40% of respondents had results equal to or lower than level 1. The OECD average is 265 points, and the Portuguese are at 238.
I.e, 40% of the Portuguese can just “do basic calculations with whole numbers or moneyunderstand the meaning of decimal places and find snippets of information in tables or graphs”. They are also able to “add and subtract small numbers”.
In both higher levels, stayed 7% of respondents in our country, half compared to the average, which is 14%.
According to the report, “Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden stand out in all of these areas, with significant percentages of their adult populations demonstrating advanced capabilities. However, on average, In OECD countries, 18% of adults do not have even the most basic levels of proficiency in any of the domains.”
We Portuguese only know how to read short sentences and do math sparingly. Can these numbers open the eyes of the Portuguese education system? Where will the problem be?
According to the OECD, these assessed competencies are “fundamental for personal, economic and social development”.
