Mathematics and science, Italian students just below the EU average but wide North-South gaps

In science subjects, i.e. maths and science, Italian students are doing better than many of their international peers; and compared to 2019, and thus to the period for Covid, they maintain stable levels in learning. But in Italy, unfortunately, there is a double, wide gap: pupils in the North are far ahead of students in the South and Islands, and subjects such as maths and science still see boys doing better than girls. This is revealed by the TIMSS 2023 international survey, promoted by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), presented by the Invalsi top management in Rome, at the State Archives, which measures performance over time in two Stem subjects, mathematics and science, in fourth grade and eighth grade.

The study, which has been conducted since 1995, takes place every four years. In this edition, it involved more than 60 countries worldwide. In Italy, more than 4,000 fourth-graders and the same number of eighth-graders were involved. "This is a historical survey that offers useful indications," emphasised Roberto Ricci, president of Invalsi. "Learning and skills, even if not strictly curricular, are now connected, and this is the future of our school".

In fact, the picture offers several insights. In the fourth grade, our children score an average of 513 points in mathematics, well above the international average (503 points), at the level of Serbia, French Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia and Albania. The EU average, however, is higher, 526 points. In the top three positions we find East Asian countries, Singapore (615 points), Chinese Taipei (607), and the Republic of Korea (594). In eighth grade we score a little lower, 501 points. But even here we are well above the international average (478), in line with the EU average (502 points), and in particular with Romania, Norway, Finland and Hungary. In both fourth grade and third grade, the mathematics performance of students from the South and Islands is lower than that of other geographical areas. And this is an important point. In fact, the North West and the North East perform markedly better, with gaps, as early as fourth grade, of 50 points more than the areas in the North. As far as science is concerned, in fourth grade our children score 511 points (international average 494 points, EU average 520), we are on similar levels to Hungary, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovakia and Slovenia. In third grade we drop a little, to 501 points (international average 478, EU average 506 points), in line with Portugal and Norway. As in primary school, the East Asian countries are at the top of the rankings (Singapore always comes first). And as for mathematics, also in science, the territorial differences are unfortunately wide and start in fourth grade, with a gap of 50 points against pupils from the South and Islands compared to the North West (42 points less than the North East). In eighth grade, in science, it even goes up again: students from the North West score 517 points, those from the South and Islands 459, with a gap therefore of 58 points.

As unfortunately for Stem subjects, a strong gender gap is confirmed. In the fourth grade of primary school, in 40 countries, boys obtain higher average scores than girls; only in South Africa did girls significantly outperform boys (29 points gap). Italy is among the countries with the highest score gap in favour of boys (+ 22 points). Boys score an average of 524 points against 501 for girls. In eighth grade, the difference in performance in favour of males is 16 points. Slightly smaller differences in favour of males are also recorded in science.