PISA 2022 Results - Country Notes: Philippines

The Philippines participated for the first time in PISA in 2018, and its average PISA 2022 results in mathematics, reading, and science were similar to those in 2018. Compared to OECD averages, students in the Philippines scored significantly lower in all three subjects. Only 16% of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics (OECD average: 69%), 24% in reading (OECD average: 74%), and 23% in science (OECD average: 76%). Virtually no students in the Philippines reached top performer levels (Level 5 or 6) in any subject, contrasting with OECD averages of 9% in mathematics, 7% in reading, and 7% in science. The gap between high- and low-scoring students in mathematics narrowed, primarily due to an improvement among low-achievers.

Socio-economic status significantly impacts performance, with 36% of Filipino students falling into the bottom international quintile of socio-economic status. Advantaged students (top 25%) outperformed disadvantaged students (bottom 25%) by 36 points in mathematics, a smaller gap than the OECD average of 93 points. Socio-economic status accounted for 5% of the variation in mathematics performance in the Philippines, compared to 15% on average across OECD countries. 12% of disadvantaged students in the Philippines demonstrated academic resilience by scoring in the top quarter of mathematics performance. Girls outperformed boys in mathematics by 14 points and in reading by 35 points, with a larger share of low performers among boys in both subjects.

Most Filipino students reported feeling a sense of belonging at school (84%) and making friends easily (83%), though these figures declined since 2018. Student satisfaction with life also decreased, with 17% reporting dissatisfaction in 2022, up from 14% in 2018. Teachers were widely seen as supportive in mathematics lessons. However, a significant proportion of students reported being distracted by digital devices (41%) and other students' device use (37%). Bullying remains a concern, with 43% of girls and 53% of boys reporting being bullied at least a few times a month, although proportions of certain types of bullying decreased since 2018. Parental involvement in schools remained relatively stable, unlike the decline seen in many other countries.

55% of Filipino students experienced school closures exceeding three months due to COVID-19. During remote learning, 41% had trouble understanding assignments and 34% had difficulty finding help. Support for student well-being during closures was limited; only 21% reported daily live virtual classes and 18% were asked daily about their well-being. While 52% of students felt confident using video communication for learning, 68% were confident in motivating themselves. Cumulative expenditure per student in the Philippines was around USD 11,000, significantly lower than the USD 75,000 threshold often associated with higher PISA mathematics scores. A shortage of teaching staff was reported by principals for 43% of students, a substantial increase from 19% in 2018, contributing to poorer mathematics performance.

In 2022, 54% of 15-year-old Filipino students were enrolled in 10th grade. 84% had attended pre-primary education, which is associated with higher mathematics scores. A significant 25% of students had repeated a grade at least once, compared to the OECD average of 9%. School autonomy is lower in the Philippines, with only 32% of students attending schools where principals were mainly responsible for hiring teachers (OECD average: 60%) and 50% where teachers chose learning materials (OECD average: 76%). PISA 2022 focused on mathematics, with reading and science as minor areas, and included creative thinking as an innovative area. Data for the Philippines met PISA's quality standards.