What is PISA?
PISA is an educational outcome measurement system that tests the performance of 15-years-old school pupil's scholastics aptitude in mathematics, science, and reading. It then ranks the participating countries.
The two-hour computer-based test conducted once in three years is to be taken students who have completed at least six years of formal school education.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR INDIA?
India had last participated in the exercise in 2009 where the country achieved a low rank of 72 among 74 participating nation. The MHRD under the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had withdrawn from the test and dubbed the question in the test as "Out of Context".
INDIA BACK IN ACTION
However, the MHRD under Javadekar had shown interest in re-entering the exam."if 80 countries can participate in PISA, including China and Vietnam, then there is no reason why children in India cannot appear for it. We went through the question papers, we asked a couple of children and they loved it because the questions are competency-based and do not require any memorisation," the secretary ( department of school and literacy), MHRD had said.
IMPORTANCE OF PISA
The PISA is conducted by the OECD every three years. PISA results are known to have an impact on the way education is practised in several countries.
However, several non-OECD members continue to stay away from the test.
All SAARC nation, Greenland, Argentina and the entire African continent, except Algeria and Tunisia, are among those who either don't regularly participate or haven't participated at all in PISA.
