Students living in rural regions of Japan are more likely to underperform academically compared to their peers from urban areas, according to a new international report released Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The new findings come from analysis taken from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey released in 2012 and are part of the first in-depth examination of factors affecting low academic performance. The triennial PISA global study looks at the competency of 15-year-olds in mathematics, reading and science.
According to the survey, 53 percent of Japanese students in rural municipalities failed to achieve mathematical competence at a level needed to function effectively in the workplace and society. The number stood at 10 percent for those in urban areas.