The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has been used as a reference to compare educational systems worldwide, and the results show significant differences between Asian countries and Portugal. The article highlights that in China the impact of social background on student outcomes is much less noticeable than in Portugal, suggesting that the Chinese educational system can mitigate socioeconomic inequalities more effectively.
Three fundamental elements are identified that characterize the best-performing Asian educational systems: academic rigor, ambition in the goals set, and a strong relationship between teachers, students, and parents. These factors seem to contribute to more consistent results regardless of students' family background.
The article includes a reflection on the importance of honest assessment, suggesting that giving good grades to students who did not achieve good results does not benefit them in the long term. This perspective reinforces the idea that rigor and high expectations are essential for quality education.
The text presents these ideas as lessons that can be learned from Asian educational systems, particularly regarding how they approach the relationship between social context and academic performance, pointing to the need for Portugal to reevaluate some of its educational practices in light of these examples.
