Bangladesh remains conspicuously absent from the world's most influential education assessment, despite growing calls from education advocates to join the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This absence means the country lacks internationally comparable data on how its secondary students perform in reading, mathematics, and science relative to global peers, hampering evidence-based policymaking and leaving Bangladesh without crucial benchmarks for measuring educational progress.
According to the OECD, PISA is a triennial international survey that evaluates education systems worldwide by testing 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading, and science. The assessment focuses not on curriculum-based memorisation but on students' ability to apply knowledge to solve real-world problems. The most recent cycle saw 81 countries participate in PISA 2022, with results released in December 2023. Bangladesh was not among them, continuing a pattern of non-participation since the assessment began in 2000.
Global performance— where countries stand: According to OECD data released in December 2023, Singapore emerged as the global leader, scoring significantly higher than all other participants. It continues to lead global education rankings with an impressive average score of 560, driven by exceptional performance in math (575) and science (561). Close behind are Macau (535), Taiwan (533), and Japan (533), reflecting East Asia's consistent academic excellence. The OECD average stands at 478, underscoring the gap between top-performing Asian economies and global peers. In contrast, regional players like the Philippines (353) and Cambodia (337) fall significantly below the benchmark. The bottom five-including Paraguay, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Guatemala-highlight persistent education challenges in Latin America and parts of Asia.
Each 40-point difference roughly corresponds to one year of schooling, meaning Singaporean students perform approximately 2.5 years ahead of the OECD average in mathematics. For context, the OECD average stands at 472 points in mathematics, 476 in reading, and 485 in science according to PISA 2022 Results Volume I published by the OECD.
Regional context— where Bangladesh should be: Bangladesh's absence becomes striking when examining regional neighbours that participated. Southeast Asian countries present a mixed picture with important lessons for Bangladesh.
According to Statista analysis of PISA 2022 results, Singapore's exceptional performance reflects decades of investment in rigorous teacher training, equitable resource distribution, and curricula emphasising critical thinking over rote learning. The Philippines provides a relevant comparison as a developing country that participated despite anticipated poor performance. According to the Philstar report published in December 2023, Filipino students ranked sixth-lowest in mathematics (355 points) and reading (347 points) among 81 countries, with only 16 per cent attaining basic proficiency in mathematics compared to the OECD average of 69 per cent.
However, Philippine education officials acknowledged these results transparently. According to Rappler's analysis from December 2023, this honesty created political space for difficult reforms. Cambodia offers another instructive example, as OECD data shows it was among only four countries that improved performance between 2018 and 2022 in all three subjects, demonstrating that baseline measurement can catalyse improvement even in challenging circumstances.
The cost question— investment vs information vacuum: According to OECD documentation for new participants, base international overhead costs for joining PISA 2029 total EUR 234,000 payable over three years, representing approximately Tk 9.1 million per year at current exchange rates. For PISA 2015, costs were lower at EUR 182,000 over four years according to online sources. Beyond international fees, countries must cover national implementation costs including drawing representative samples of approximately 6,000 students, appointing qualified national project managers, and covering test administration expenses, bringing Bangladesh's total estimated costs to Tk 15-20 million per cycle.
The cost of not participating may be far greater. The country lacks international standards to assess the real position of secondary students, forcing policymakers to rely on national assessments that do not allow meaningful international comparison. This information vacuum means Bangladesh cannot determine whether students are acquiring competencies needed for global labour markets, cannot identify specific curriculum weaknesses, and cannot measure progress toward international benchmarks.
Without PISA data, Bangladesh cannot assess whether its education system adequately prepares potential migrant professionals or identifies gaps in mathematical reasoning, reading comprehension, or scientific literacy that may limit earning potential abroad.
What PISA measures and why it matters: According to OECD documentation, PISA evaluates three core domains through a two-hour assessment testing students' ability to deploy knowledge in authentic contexts rather than recalling memorised facts. In mathematics, PISA measures capacity to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics in various contexts, requiring students to apply mathematical knowledge to real-world problems. In reading, the assessment evaluates capacity to understand, use, reflect on, and engage with written texts, including navigating digital texts and evaluating information credibility. In science, PISA measures the ability to engage with science-related issues, explain phenomena scientifically, and interpret data and evidence.
Lessons from transparent participation: Countries that chose transparency over isolation demonstrate that PISA participation, however humbling initial results may be, provides foundation for evidence-based improvement. Cambodia joined PISA for Development (PISA-D) with support from UNICEF-sponsored Southeast Asia Programme on Learning Metrics, demonstrating that countries can access technical and financial support from development partners. Cambodia's participation, while showing bottom rankings, provided invaluable information that shaped education reforms and attracted international support.
The Philippines' transparent approach offers another instructive example. According to Rappler analysis, Philippine policymakers in 2023 were less defensive than after 2018 results, openly acknowledging that improvement will take years of sustained reform, creating political space for difficult changes that might otherwise face resistance.
In the coming years, we can focus to improve our students and join PISA 2029, which will focus on reading with an innovative domain of Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy according to OECD announcements. To participate, Bangladesh must submit an official letter confirming intention to participate, appoint a national project manager with relevant qualifications, designate a PISA Governing Board representative, and commit to meeting technical standards.
Benefits extend beyond test scores. According to OECD documentation, PISA provides extensive contextual data through questionnaires that help countries understand factors associated with educational success. For Bangladesh specifically, participation would reveal how students compare to countries where many migrate for work or education, whether current curriculum develops needed competencies, which performance aspects need urgent attention, and how performance varies across regions and socioeconomic groups.
Bangladesh's continued absence represents a missed opportunity to obtain data that could transform education policymaking. While participation would require investment and likely reveal gaps, this information would be invaluable for identifying reform priorities and tracking progress. As Bangladesh aspires to achieve developed country status by 2041, it cannot afford to remain uncertain about how its students compare globally in competencies driving economic success. The financial cost is modest compared to overall education spending, while the cost of continued absence is measured in missed improvement opportunities and a workforce potentially unprepared for global competition.
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