Press Release: Thriving through the reading pandemic, Hong Kong students attain the top three ranking in the world for four consecutive PIRLS cycles The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) International Report (Hong Kong SAR Section)
新聞稿：疫情中展現閱讀韌力，連續四屆全球排名前三 全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 (PIRLS) 2021 國際報告（香港地區）

Thriving through the reading pandemic, Hong Kong students attain the top three ranking in the world for four consecutive PIRLS cycles
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 
International Report (Hong Kong SAR Section)

“The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study” (PIRLS) is an international large-scale reading assessment organised by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). PIRLS has been conducted every five years to assess, compare and track the reading achievement of primary four students globally. Fifty-seven countries and regions participated in PIRLS 2021 study, with approximately 320,000 students, their parents, teachers, and principals. Hong Kong has participated in the study since the first cycle in 2001, and this is the fifth cycle Hong Kong has participated in. The research team of the Centre for The Advancement of Chinese Language Education and Research of the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (CACLER, HKU) was funded by the Quality Education Fund to participate in the PIRLS 2001 study in 1999. Since then, the research team has continued to be commissioned by the Education Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to conduct PIRLS studies.

A team of researchers led by Dr Lam Wai Ip, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Principal Investigator of PIRLS 2021 Hong Kong Section; Professor Tse Shek Kam, Investigator of PIRLS 2021 Hong Kong Section; and Dr Cheong Choo Mui, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, HKU and Investigator of PIRLS 2021 Hong Kong Section released the findings of the PIRLS 2021 study this morning (May 17). The latest release results are as follows:

Key research findings

1. Primary four students participated in the fifth PIRLS in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. They scored 573 points (the international centerpoint is 500), placing Hong Kong second in the world’s ranking, and consistently in the top three for four consecutive cycles.
2. Girls performed better in reading than boys, and students achieved better results in reading informational texts than literary texts overall. Compared with previous cycles, the proportion of top-performing students has increased significantly. Hong Kong has always maintained a very low proportion of low-performing students, while in PIRLS 2021, it has the least number of low-performing students globally.
3. Both international and Hong Kong results showed that reading achievement is most directly related to students’ confidence in reading, and students gained their confidence when they are interested and motivated to read more, and cultivate good reading habits.
4. Reading at home and in school is essential for cultivating students’ interest, motivation, and habits in reading, and subsequently building their confidence in their reading ability.
5. The impact of socio-economic status on students’ reading achievement in Hong Kong is less significant than in other countries or regions, demonstrating fairness in reading education in Hong Kong.
6. Hong Kong schools maintains the highest degree of discipline and safety in the world.
7. Hong Kong students, parents, and educators have demonstrated strong reading resilience and are among the few regions globally that have not suffered setbacks in reading literacy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more details about PIRLS 2021 study, please visit https://pirls.hku.hk.

Please browse the following information to view the detailed press release and appendix tables and figures, and download photos.

For media enquiries, please contact Dr Lam Wai Ip, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, HKU, PIRLS 2021 Hong Kong Research Coordinator, and Principal Investigator (Tel: 3917 5282 / Email: [javascript protected email address] / Fax: 2517 4403), or Dr Ng Hung Wai, PIRLS 2021 Hong Kong Project Manager (Tel: 3917 5694 / Email: [javascript protected email address] / Fax: 2517 4403), or Ms Emily Cheung, Senior Manager (Development and Communications), Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel: 3917 4270 / Email: [javascript protected email address]).

May 17, 2023

疫情中展現閱讀韌力，連續四屆全球排名前三
全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 (PIRLS) 2021
國際報告（香港地區）

「全球學生閱讀能力進展研究」（PIRLS）由國際教育成就評價協會主辦，每五年一屆，旨在評估、比較並追蹤全球小四學生的閱讀表現，以及影響閱讀表現的各方面因素。本屆PIRLS 2021 研究共有57個國家及地區參與，全球約320,000名學生，以及他們的家長、教師與校長參加。香港大學教育學院（港大教育學院）中文教育研究中心獲香港特別行政區政府教育局資助或委託，連續五屆進行香港地區的研究。

由港大教育學院副教授、PIRLS 2021香港地區首席研究員林葦葉博士、香港地區合作研究員謝錫金教授，以及港大教育學院助理教授、香港地區合作研究員鍾竹梅博士領導進行的「全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 (PIRLS) 2021」的研究結果於今天（5月17日）上午發佈。本項目最新的研究結果茲闡述如下﹕

撮要

1. 香港小學四年級學生在2021年疫情大流行期間參加了第五屆全球閱讀能力進展研究，得分573分（國際平均分500分），全球排名第二，連續四屆高居國際首三名之列。
2. 香港地區女生閱讀表現較男生為佳，資訊類閱讀較文藝類閱讀為優，閱讀尖子比率較歷屆提升，而能力稍遜學生比率一直維持在低水平，於PIRLS 2021更屬全球最少能力稍遜學生的地區。
3. 不論全球抑或香港地區，閱讀表現與學生對自己閱讀效能的自信關係最直接，學生閱讀效能的自信，建立在閱讀興趣、動機和習慣上。
4. 閱讀家庭和閱讀學校，是培育學生閱讀興趣、動機和習慣，繼而建立閱讀效能自信的條件。
5. 香港家庭的社經地位，對學生閱讀表現的影響，沒有其他國家或地區大，顯示了香港地區的閱讀公平性。
6. 香港學校是全球最安全的學校。
7. 香港學生、家長和教育工作者表現出了強大的閱讀韌性，是全球少數沒有受新冠大流行影響而退步的地區之一。

有關「全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 2021 香港地區」計劃的詳情，請瀏覽https://pirls.hku.hk。

請瀏覽以下資料，以查看詳盡新聞稿及附錄圖表，以及下載相片。

傳媒查詢，請聯絡全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 (PIRLS) 2021 計劃香港地區研究代表、首席研究員及香港大學教育學院副教授林葦葉博士（電話：3917 5282 / 電郵﹕[javascript protected email address] / 傳真：2517 4403）；或全球學生閱讀能力進展研究 (PIRLS) 2021 計劃項目經理及香港大學中文教育研究中心研究主任吳鴻偉博士（電話﹕3917 5694 / 電郵：[javascript protected email address] / 傳真：2517 4403）；或香港大學教育學院高級經理（發展及傳訊）張可恩女士（電話：3917 4270 / 電郵﹕[javascript protected email address]）。

2023年5月17日