75% Of Latin American Students Do Not Reach The Basic Level In Mathematics, According To The OECD

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An analysis by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveals a concerning educational reality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where 75% of students in the region do not reach the basic level of competence in mathematics.

The results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published in December 2023, raised alarms about young people's ability to apply mathematical knowledge in daily life and future learning activities, such as access to university studies.

The study – which assesses 15-year-olds in areas such as reading, science, and mathematics – seeks to measure students' preparedness to face the challenges of modern society and, in the case of mathematics, PISA focuses on students' ability to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics in contexts such as mathematical reasoning, the use of concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict phenomena.

While in LAC this figure rises to 75%, in the other member countries of the organization the percentage of students who do not reach the basic level in mathematics is only 23%.

The impact on the future of work, the case of Mexico

The low academic level in the region, particularly in mathematics, was a central theme during the International Entrepreneurship Congress organized by BusinessKids, a firm present in 30 countries and four continents.

Here, the concerning gap between the mathematical knowledge that students should have according to their grade level and what they actually possess was evident, with a delay that, in some cases, reaches up to 4 school cycles.

Experts warn that this mathematical deficiency impacts the academic and professional future of students, as“it is a fundamental basis for students to have tools for their academic development and to reach a better work or entrepreneurial sphere,” stated the president of BusinessKids, María del Carmen Cabrera.

“A child who does not master mathematics will not develop certain areas of the brain optimally, making the world much more complicated for them and their academic development more complex and adverse,” she added.

Likewise, Kumon, a multinational specialized in mathematics, reading, and English education, reports, according to its database with more than 47,000 tests administered and market analysis, that in Mexico eight out of ten students exhibit this knowledge deficit, resulting in a lag in the number of students who complete their university degree, where less than 5% reach the level of graduate.

Blocks access to higher educatioin

What“can affect the choice of a university career and even prevent access to certain professions,” noted the expansion manager for Mexico and Central America, Héctor Barrera.

Barrera pointed out the consequences this could have on access to higher education, where“it is estimated that only 30% of students currently in basic education will be able to enroll in a university,” also noting that“knowledge of mathematics is a fundamental basis for the student's professional future, but less than 20% master them.”

Additionally, he mentioned that this impact also extends to the field of entrepreneurship and highlighted that“there are studies that correlate knowledge of mathematics with better income for the student in their adult life, whether because they were able to enter university or start a business.”

For his part, the president of Coparmex Manzanillo, Miguel Ángel Castro Palomino, pointed out that“it is imperative that Mexico invests in extracurricular education to strengthen students' knowledge and learning skills, because if an educational deficit continues to be dragged on, it could result in poor professionals in the future.”

The post 75% of Latin American Students Do Not Reach the Basic Level in Mathematics, According to the OECD appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

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