Use and Impact of PIRLS

Kuwait’s participation in PIRLS 2016 was influenced by several factors. The National Centre for Education Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Education developed an awareness plan for students and parents emphasizing the importance of reading and participating in PIRLS 2016. The outcome of the plan showed a clear interest of students, parents, and teachers in taking part in the assessment. By taking the assessment more seriously, the outcome will reflect students’ true abilities.

There has been growing interest in free reading in schools. In the upcoming PIRLS cycle, Kuwait will conduct the assessment with students studying under a brand new curriculum. Thus, the outcome of the 2016 assessment can be used as a baseline to compare the effectiveness of the two curricula.