Korean students outperform OECD average amid pandemic havoc: data

South Korea outperformed in tests that compare educational attainment among 15-year-olds around the world, despite COVID-19 having wrought havoc on global education systems, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Program for International Student Assessment is a study of 15-year-old students’ performance in mathematics, reading and science literacy conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Typically conducted every three years, this year’s assessment, for 2022, comes a year later due to the pandemic.

Korea saw an elevation in its average scores across all sections, scoring 527 on math, 515 on reading and 528 on science, up by one point, one point and nine points, respectively, from the last test for 2018. The OECD average, on the other hand, saw drops of 12 points, 11 points and four points in the respective categories.