Reykjavik city council proposes reintroduction of standardized tests in primary schools

City council representatives from the Independence Party have proposed that the City of Reykjavik request the Minister of Children and Education to reintroduce standardized tests in primary schools. The proposal suggests that these tests, aimed at students in grades 4, 7, and 10, could improve educational outcomes for primary school students.

Yesterday, the city council referred this proposal to the School and Leisure Council. The motion received support from twenty representatives of the Independence Party, the Social Democratic Alliance, the Progressive Party, the Pirates, the Reform Party, and the People’s Party, while three representatives from the Left Green Movement and the Socialist Party opposed it.

According to an accompanying report, since 2009, Icelandic primary school performance has declined by 64 points on the PISA reading comprehension assessment, equivalent to over three full school years. In the most recent PISA survey, Iceland ranked last among European countries and sixth lowest overall among participant countries.

The importance of standardized tests is emphasized as a means of measuring educational objectives, with claims that discontinuing them was misguided. The council clarified that the proposal has not been approved but referred for further consideration by the School and Leisure Council, which will determine its fate. Apologies were issued for any previous miscommunication regarding the approval status.