Reykjavík City Council approves proposal to reinstate standardized testing in primary schools in Iceland

The Reykjavík City Council has approved a proposal to request the Minister of Children and Education to reinstate standardized testing in primary schools. This decision was made during a council meeting yesterday.

The initiative, put forth by representatives from the Independence Party, seeks to reintroduce standardized assessments for grades 4, 7, and 10 in Icelandic schools, aiming to enhance students’ academic performance. Twenty council members supported the proposal, including representatives from the Independence Party, the Social Democratic Alliance, the Progressive Party, Reform Party, Pirate Party, and the People’s Party, while three members from the Left-Green Movement and the Socialist Party opposed it.

The accompanying documentation highlights a significant decline in Iceland’s education system, noting a drop of 64 PISA points in reading comprehension since 2009, equivalent to over three full years of schooling. In the latest PISA survey, Iceland ranked last among European countries and was sixth from the bottom overall among participating nations.

The importance of standardized tests as a measure of educational objectives was emphasized, with the assertion that it was misguided to have eliminated them previously. The council believes that reinstating these assessments will contribute to improving educational outcomes for primary school students in Iceland.