Catalonia fails in Primary Education
One out of every three students has serious difficulties regarding reading and writing competence
Barcelona (CNA).- Ever since Catalan primary school students' education results fell below the average in the annual European PISA study, the Catalan Ministry of Education has been examining pupils in the sixth grade once a year. This year's results, based on answers given by 67,000 students, are not as good as expected and are in fact worse than last years' figures. The 2010 study shows that one in three students has difficulties when it comes to reading and writing competence in both Catalan and Spanish.
28% of those students who took the exams in May failed the Catalan language test while 29.8% did not pass the Spanish language exam. However, results in mathematics are better than last year, with three out of every four Catalan students making the grade.
As for English, under evaluation for the very first time, the level is still low as only 64,5% of students have a reasonable level. The results do reveal important differences between public schools, subsidized centres and private institutions. Social class also plays a part. 81% of those students who passed the English exam were from the middle to upper classes, while the percentage drops to 58% for those students from lower economic backgrounds.
Students who were not born in Catalonia received lower grades than native Catalans. The Education Minister, Ernest Maragall, stated that the idea that immigrant students are worse is a "mere topic", but it is a fact that the difficulties they face on arrival clearly influence their inferior results.
As for English, under evaluation for the very first time, the level is still low as only 64,5% of students have a reasonable level. The results do reveal important differences between public schools, subsidized centres and private institutions. Social class also plays a part. 81% of those students who passed the English exam were from the middle to upper classes, while the percentage drops to 58% for those students from lower economic backgrounds.
Students who were not born in Catalonia received lower grades than native Catalans. The Education Minister, Ernest Maragall, stated that the idea that immigrant students are worse is a "mere topic", but it is a fact that the difficulties they face on arrival clearly influence their inferior results.
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