QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PISA RESULTS

QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PISA RESULTS
Early childhood education helps overcome the effects of poverty on maths results.
Children living in poverty in New Zealand are more than six times more likely to under achieve in maths than well-off children, a new report from the OECD says.
The report, "Low-Performing Students - Why They Fall Behind and How To Help Them Succeed" found the disadvantage of poverty was made even worse by a lack of early childhood education.
While poverty is the most significant factor in achieving in maths, the report says taking part in early childhood education for at least a year is also significant. Children who miss out on ECE are three times as likely to fail at maths.
The report is based on the results of tests of 15-year-olds known as PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment).
New Zealand’s results were above average, but have fallen behind since the last assessment, and inequality had worsened.
The report said poor performers tended to do less homework, have less perseverance and motivation, and were more likely to skip classes than higher achievers.
New Zealand had stronger than average links between socio-economic status and low achievement, but it did not have more low-achievers than most other developed countries.
The report recommends that countries ensure schools were supportive but also demanding, and provide under-achievers with remedial teaching as soon as possible. Ensuring children from diverse backgrounds are attending the same schools helps lift lift achievement, the OECD's analysis shows.