At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a briefing from the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Taiwan's performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2022 education rankings. Premier Chen said Taiwanese students' spectacular achievements in both assessments demonstrates the success of the 12-year basic education curriculum guidelines, launched in 2019, which has allowed students to develop core competencies and inter-disciplinary skills.
Taiwanese students outperformed the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average in the organization's PISA 2022 assessment, ranking third in mathematics, fourth in science and fifth in reading, the premier said.
Taiwanese students also participated in ICCS 2022, hosted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Taiwan scored highest worldwide in categories including civic knowledge; endorsement of gender equality, immigrants' rights and equal rights for all ethnic groups; and attitudes towards environmental protection. Taiwanese students' trust in civic institutions also exceeded the global average.
The premier said the 12-year basic education curriculum guidelines focus on learning through exploration and competency-based education, providing students with a modern education that prepares them to become global citizens. The premier instructed the MOE to continue enhancing the civic literacy of Taiwan's students, in addition to strengthening their abilities in mathematics, reading and science.