worrisome is that the declining trend will most likely persist, further eroding the competitive advantage of the Philippines. For instance, in key disciplines such as Math and Science, the Philippines has been consistently placing near the bottom of international benchmark studies. The results of the “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study� (TIMSS) of the Boston College serve as a good indicator. The TIMSS is a competitive examination to test the general level of Math and Science knowledge of specific grade-levels of students. In the test for 8th grade students, for example, the benchmark indicators show the Philippines near the bottom.
Table 14. Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (Grade 8) 2003 and 1999
RP Singapore Korea Taiwan HK Japan Malaysia Russia US RP Score Int'l. Ave.
1999 Math Science Rank out of 38 countries 36 36 1 2 2 5 3 1 4 15 5 4 16 22 12 16 19 18 345 345 487 488
2003 Math Science Rank out of 45 countries 41 42 1 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 5 6 10 20 12 17 15 9 378 377 467 474
Source: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Boston College (2004)
In 1999, among Grade 8 pupils, the country ranked 36th out of 38 for both Math and Science. In the latest study, conducted in 2003 and released in December 2004, out of 45 countries, the Philippines placed 41st for Math and 42nd for Science. On the other hand, neighbors like Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Japan have consistently topped the TIMSS. It is interesting to note also that Eastern European countries, in addition to Russia (ranked 12th for Math and 17th for Science), are also getting high scores. For example, in 2003, for 37