Albania surprises in mathematics / 2% of Albanian girls enter the top 40% elite

The PISA 2022 international assessment data showed a decline in the knowledge of 15-year-old students in Albania, but a deeper OECD analysis presents a different picture of student performance, especially of girls in mathematics.

According to this report, Albania ranks among the countries with a high percentage of talented girls in mathematics, compared both to developing countries and some developed European economies.

The data shows that girls in Albania make up around 40% of students who rank in the top 2% in mathematics. This figure is higher than the average of G7 countries.

The analysis notes that in many countries girls are increasingly gaining ground in mathematics, but Albania is among the countries where their representation at the highest levels is relatively strong.

In international comparison, countries such as Malaysia, Mongolia, Bosnia, and Russia also show high percentages of girls among top-performing mathematics students.

The report emphasizes that in post-communist countries, including Albania, the gender gap in these results is smaller than in other economies, which is linked to the historical inclusion of women in education and technical fields.

OECD experts connect this to the legacy of the region’s countries, where women’s participation in education and the labor market in STEM sectors has been relatively higher, contributing to narrowing gender differences in mathematical talent.

At the global level, the report highlights that the gender gap in mathematics is more pronounced in developed countries, especially at the highest levels of excellence.

According to the analysis, strengthening girls’ mathematical skills can have a direct impact on the economy, increasing the potential for investment in high-value sectors such as technology, programming, and engineering.

The report considers this an important potential for the future labor market, especially in the digital era, where demand for analytical skills is steadily increasing.

“KORÇA BOOM”