Poorly performing teens ‘lack interest’

A lack of interest in reading and a carefree attitude to finishing tests are the main reasons why Irish teenagers scored badly at international level, experts believe.

After the disappointing reading and maths results for 15-year-olds in the last international rankings in 2009, the Educational Research Centre (ERC) at St Patrick’s College in Dublin analysed the results to try and find out why.

The ERC, which oversees International Student Assessment (PISA) in Ireland, initially identified factors that contributed to the decline, including: