When 15 Year Olds from Singapore Excelled at Global Problem Solving Skill Test Program

Singapore is already globally popular as the hub of technical advancement in almost all areas of work. The Republic keeps proving it time and again through extraordinary achievements, which are highly useful not only within the domestic settings, but help the entire world in begetting something new and worthwhile.

Living up to its standing of a highly enterprising nation with an aspiring young generation, Singapore has, many a time, proven its mettle in the field of education and academics too. One of the best instances is the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test of 2012.

When 15 Year Olds from Singapore Excelled the PISA Test

In the year 2012, Singapore topped the list of several countries that took the problem-solving test, a significant part of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. The achievement was huge and encouraging as the entire student body from the age group of 15 from across the country had exhibited exceptional skills, that too regardless of which background of school education they belonged to!

In the PISA test that is conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) once every three years, Singapore was one of the top performers in various other areas also, including science, reading literacy skills and mathematics. All these areas were conducted and evaluated under the same program, and the results were released in the end of the year.

What Made the Success So Remarkable?

Singapore got the biggest score of 562 points and was one of a handful of countries to excel in most of the assortments. It defeated South Korea (561) with a negligible difference of just one point. It had the biggest proportion of best-performing participants, that is, three times higher than the average number of OECD!

Another aspect that made the success special was Singapore’s intelligent and timely answer to critics claiming that the education system of the country promoted nothing but rote learning.

Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Adviser to the OECD Secretary-General, had said that this outstanding performance had helped the country debunk such criticism, and defy claims that its education system was based on cramming that was encouraged at the cost of growing creative skills.

Expressing his joy at the Principals’ Forum later, Mr. Schleicher had called this performance suggestive of the fact that 15-year-olds in the country were quick and inquisitive learners, fully capable of solving unstructured crisis in any type of situation.

Heng Swee Keat, Education Minister, has also written on his Facebook page about the event and mentioned that the problem-solving skill test was not for book smarts. And that the youth of Singapore was thinking, daring and acting openly and smartly, and could take any responsibility, everything from significant roles of educationalists and analysts to a tuition coordinator job. He had also called such extraordinary tests and skills very important for the competitive world of education.