Concerns rise as France, Belgium, UK fall behind in mathematics, science in Europe

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss) rankings for 2023 reveal a concerning reality for the European education system.

The study, published on Wednesday, sparked widespread debates across Europe about inequalities in education systems and the declining performance that threatens the continent's competitiveness.

As France remains below the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) average in both mathematics and science, with performance particularly poor compared to its European neighbors, concerns grow over the long-term impact on the country's education system and its ability to compete globally, Le Monde reported.

While French students’ results appear to have stabilized after years of decline, significant disparities in achievement have reached worrying levels, raising questions about the future of the country's education system.

According to the study, France continues to rank among the worst performers in Europe. In mathematics, French students in CM1 and 4th grade are ranked second-to-last and last in the European Union, respectively.

The scores for CM1 students in mathematics (484 points) and science (488 points) have remained almost unchanged since 2019, far behind the European averages of 524 in mathematics and 518 in science.

The gap between France and the top-performing countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea remains significant.

However, the ongoing decline in performance seems to have leveled off, according to the study.

One of the most alarming findings is the increase in educational inequalities, Le Parisien reported.

In mathematics, the gap between students from advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds is 81 points, one of the largest among OECD countries.

Gender disparities are also growing, particularly in CM1, where the performance gap between boys and girls has nearly doubled over four years, reaching 23 points in favor of boys.

The report also highlights the performance of French-speaking Belgian regions and the UK.

The Wallonia-Brussels Federation ranks just behind France in mathematics and science, with scores placing it at the bottom of the European rankings, Le Soir reported.

Belgian students in this region scored 481 points in mathematics and 485 in science, trailing France's scores of 484 and 488, respectively. In contrast, the Flemish community of Belgium performed better, ranking 24th in mathematics and 35th in science.

England, on the other hand, has seen a mixed performance. While the country's Year 5 students experienced a slight decline in mathematics (falling to 552 points from 556 in 2019), Year 9 students saw a modest increase in both mathematics (525 points) and science (531 points).

Despite these improvements, England still lags behind several East Asian countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, in mathematics, The Guardian reported.

However, it has managed to surpass several other nations in science, securing rankings of 5th for Year 5 science and 6th for Year 9 science.

The socio-economic divide remains a critical factor across all these countries.

In France, the gap between students from the most advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds is 81 points in mathematics and 92 points in science. This growing inequality in education raises concerns about the future of students from disadvantaged communities, who are at risk of falling further behind.

As these results stir debate across Europe, the pressure is on governments to implement reforms that address these deep-rooted inequalities and improve academic performance.