Students above OECD average for digital literacy

IRELAND has improved its grade when it comes to students’ ability to read computer-based text — but the level is behind that of a decade ago.

The report, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), ranked Ireland eighth out of 19 countries that took part in the Digital Literacy Test, focussing on students’ ability to read emails and websites.

The score in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a marked improvement on a 2009 study that looked at traditional pencil-and-paper literacy tests.

Ireland’s average score in the most recent test was 509, some 13 points higher than in the 2009 test, but still lower than the 527 points scored in a similar test in 2000.

Four countries, led by Korea, scored significantly higher than Ireland in the latest PISA test, but the Irish score is still well above the average among the 19 countries ranked.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn welcomed the test results but said there was no room for complacency.

“The results of this digital literacy test and the PISA 2009 tests published last year seem to confirm that a decline has occurred in reading standards in Ireland over the last decade,” Mr Quinn said.

He added that he would be bringing new literacy and numeracy proposals, including specific improvements to teacher education and curriculum content, to the Government in the near future.

The above-average score in the latest test is being attributed to a better overall performance by lower-achieving students, as well as higher levels of engagement in reading.

The results also showed that in Ireland, as with almost all countries, girls outperformed boys.

Irish business group IBEC expressed concern at one aspect of the PISA test which showed that the percentage of Irish students using a computer at school, at 62.9%, is significantly below the OECD average of 74.2%.

Tony Donohoe, IBEC head of education policy, said: “These figures demonstrate the gap that we have to close.”

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) welcomed the results of the PISA test, with its General Secretary Pat King claiming: “The report indicates that Irish schools and students have embraced new technology and that teachers are steadily weaving technology into the fabric of second-level education.”

Test scores

509 — Ireland’s digital reading mean score.

8th place — where Ireland ranks in OECD test.

Girls outperformed boys by 31 score points on digital reading, higher than the OECD average of 24 points.