TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The performance of Taiwanese students in mathematics and science has slightly improved in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) rankings published on Tuesday (Dec. 8).

According to results from the longest-running, large-scale academic assessment, secondary school students in Taiwan were ranked second, up from third place in 2015, in the 2019 global rankings for both math and science. Primary school students also moved up one place to fifth in science and remained fourth in math.

The only country outperforming Taiwan in both subjects at both age groups was Singapore, which managed its second consecutive clean sweep in the rankings. East Asia continues to dominate the math category, with Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong taking the top five places in both age groups.

More than 580,000 pupils from 64 countries participated in the 2019 TIMSS, including 3,765 fourth-graders and 4,915 eighth-graders from 365 Taiwanese schools. This was the sixth time Taiwan has taken part in the study, which is conducted every four years, according to Radio Taiwan International.

Despite Taiwan's stellar performance in TIMSS rankings, National Taiwan Normal University professor Chang Chun-yen (張俊彥) warned that the percentage of Taiwanese students indicating a lack of interest in math and science is higher than the global average. He said education systems in East Asia have yielded strong academic results but they could also lose the interest of students, reported CNA.