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12/01/2015
Minister Welcomes Primary School Assessments
Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan TD, has welcomed the publication of national assessments in primary schools throughout Ireland.
The 2014 National Assessments of English reading and Mathematics, published today (12 January), revealed the first significant improvements in standards in reading and maths – recorded by the national assessments for primary schools – in more than 30 years.
Prepared by the independent Educational Research Centre, the assessments involved a representative sample of more than 8,000 pupils in 150 primary schools, using secure tests.
The overall performance in reading and maths in second and sixth classes was found to be significantly higher in these assessments than the 2009 assessments; the first "significant improvements" recorded in over three decades. Improvements were last noted in the 1980 data, compared to the 1972 results, it has been said.
Elsewhere, in 2014, there was a fall in the number of lower-achieving pupils and an increase in the proportion of higher achievement pupils in both English reading and mathematics, compared to 2009.
Welcoming the findings, Minister O'Sullivan said: "I am very pleased to see that overall performance in reading and maths was significantly higher in 2014 than in 2009, at both Second and Sixth classes.
"Today, I want to acknowledge the success that teachers, parents and students have had in improving the literacy and numeracy levels in our primary schools."
However, the Minister added that "the results leave scope for improvements, especially in maths and in DEIS schools".
(JP/IT)
The 2014 National Assessments of English reading and Mathematics, published today (12 January), revealed the first significant improvements in standards in reading and maths – recorded by the national assessments for primary schools – in more than 30 years.
Prepared by the independent Educational Research Centre, the assessments involved a representative sample of more than 8,000 pupils in 150 primary schools, using secure tests.
The overall performance in reading and maths in second and sixth classes was found to be significantly higher in these assessments than the 2009 assessments; the first "significant improvements" recorded in over three decades. Improvements were last noted in the 1980 data, compared to the 1972 results, it has been said.
Elsewhere, in 2014, there was a fall in the number of lower-achieving pupils and an increase in the proportion of higher achievement pupils in both English reading and mathematics, compared to 2009.
Welcoming the findings, Minister O'Sullivan said: "I am very pleased to see that overall performance in reading and maths was significantly higher in 2014 than in 2009, at both Second and Sixth classes.
"Today, I want to acknowledge the success that teachers, parents and students have had in improving the literacy and numeracy levels in our primary schools."
However, the Minister added that "the results leave scope for improvements, especially in maths and in DEIS schools".
(JP/IT)
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