Catalonia lags behind in maths: 42% of 9-10 year olds have low or very low skills

Nearly 42% of 4th grade students in Catalonia, aged 9 or 10, have low or very low skills in maths.

This is one of the key findings of the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

According to the study, 30% of students show a low level of mathematical ability, while 12% fall into the very low category.

Catalan students scored an average of 489 points, 25 points below the European average (514), 36 points below the OECD average (525) and 9 points below the Spanish average (498). 

Among the 60 participating countries, Spain is in 35th place, and Catalonia would be in 40th place, with 18 other countries lagging behind.

Compared to other Spanish autonomous communities, Catalonia is the third lowest performing region, ahead only of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Castile and León, Asturias and Madrid are the top performers.

Despite these poor results, 37.6% of Catalan students achieved an average level in maths, 17.5% reached a high level, and 3.3% performed at an advanced level.

In terms of gender, girls score on average 17 points lower than boys in maths.

The study also analyzes science results, where Catalonia performs better than in maths, with an average score of 502 points, which is closer to the overall average of the countries analyzed.