Enquête auprès des écoles avec des élèves de 9ème année en Suisse - 2012

Since 2000, every three years, the skills of 15-year-olds and children in their 9th Grade are assessed regarding reading, mathematics and science in more than sixty countries. This long-term study, carried out at regular intervals, gives information on these three areas with each time a particular attention for one of them (literacy in 2009, mathematics in 2012, and the sciences in 2015). It also provides data on students' cross-curricular competencies and motivations. Moreover, this information is linked to the characteristics of educational systems, schools and pupils. Switzerland has compiled additional samples of 9th Grade pupils (11th HarmoS) in the different linguistic regions and a number of cantons (in 2012: AG, BE-g, BE-f, FR-f, GE, JU, NE, SG, SO, TI, VD, VS-g, VS-f) making it possible to make comparisons of pupils' skills at the end of compulsory schooling. For the 2012 survey, by international comparison, Switzerland is slightly above the OECD average in reading, above this average in science and clearly above in mathematics. Regional and cantonal differences are also observed. Individual and structural characteristics have an impact on student performance. The first analyses show that the issue of equality and equity remains a continuing challenge for all school systems and that many factors have an impact on student performance. The impact of students' commitment and motivation on their mathematical skills is also to be noted. In addition, a national report dealt with the following topics: changes in student performance over time, resilient pupils, links between skills and the teaching of mathematics, knowledge of information and communication technologies communication, training after compulsory schooling.