Pupils to miss ‘racism’ Pisa test

TEENAGERS in Wales will not take a new international Pisa test assessing issues such as racism, cultural identity and prejudice.

The Welsh Government has confirmed 15-year-olds taking Pisa tests for academic ability later this year – as part of a three-year cycle to assess international education standards – will not take the new “global competences” test offered alongside them for the first time.

The news comes as concern about racism in schools in Wales mounts and the think tank running Pisa warns learning to participate in diverse societies is “no longer a luxury but a pressing necessity”.

The charity Show Racism the Red Card Cymru says rising numbers of teachers are reporting racist incidents while a survey last year laid bare the racist views of some children as young as 10.

Earlier this month the Children’s Commissioner for Wales launched lesson plans and resources to tackle Islamophobia after some pupils told her how prejudice at school affected them.

Incidents included pupils being called terrorists at school and being told to take their scarves off by strangers in the street.

Schools in Scotland, Australia and Canada are among those that will take the new Pisa global competence test later this year.

Those in England, Ireland, the United States, France and Germany are among those, including Wales, that will not.

The test is aimed at assessing teenagers’ respect for other cultures and ability to identify fake news.

It will be sat alongside highly-regarded Pisa tests to assess global competence in maths, reading and science.