另外值得一提的是,在世界经合组织对其41个成员国的15岁学生进行的测试报告(Programme for International
Student Assessment,PISA)中,新西兰学生一向名列前茅。PISA
2003的报告显示,在阅读能力、数学、科学和解决问题的能力四个方面,新西兰学生的水平明显高于世界经合组织成员国的学生的平均水平。在以上四个领域,
新西兰的学生与澳大利亚、加拿大等国家的学生具有同样的水平。
Two New Zealand teenagers, Arkesh Patel and William Zhang, topped
the world in a number of University of Cambridge International exam
subjects.
Arkesh, 16, got the highest marks in Year 11 history, biology and
chemistry, as well as coming first equal locally for English. William
came first in maths and combined science at the Year 11 level.
Arkesh attends Westlake Boys High School and William attends
Auckland Grammar School. Both schools are in Auckland, New Zealand.
The exams are offered in many countries including Britain, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.
John Morris, the Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand’s
board chairman said the results were fantastic. “We should be extremely
proud of these students who have shown they can compete with the rest
of the world and come out tops.”
According to Mr Hamish Forsyth, Education Counsellor in the New
Zealand Embassy in Beijing, “These results further emphasise the high
quality of New Zealand’s education system, which emphasises small
classes and personalised learning”.
New Zealand consistently ranks highly in the OECD report on the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA is an
international study of 15-year-old students in 41 countries.
PISA 2003 assessed students in reading, mathematics, science and
problem solving. New Zealand students performed significantly above
OECD averages and on a par with students in countries like Australia
and Canada for all four achievement areas.
Like many students educated in New Zealand, Arkesh achieves
academically but also manages a balanced life; playing tennis,
basketball, and debating. “A life balancing academic achievement with
extra-curricular activity is not only healthy, but something employers
are increasingly looking for in today’s competitive job market,” Mr
Forsyth concluded.