Japan School Achievement Test Flags Gaps in Proportions, Reading

Tokyo, July 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese education ministry on Thursday released results from this fiscal year's national achievement test, highlighting persistent weaknesses in proportional reasoning among elementary school students and reading comprehension among junior high school students.

The annual national assessment of academic ability and learning situation was conducted in April and May, administered to sixth-grade elementary and third-year junior high school students.

Because the test's difficulty changes each year, the average correct answer rates cannot be used to compare academic performance over time.

This year, average scores fell from the previous survey in Japanese and mathematics for sixth graders but rose in Japanese and mathematics for third-year junior high students.

Students struggled with questions involving proportional reasoning in elementary mathematics, including selecting a tape measuring 1.5 times a given length.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]