When the results of TIMSS was announced recently, again there was this outpouring of pride in MOE about the performance of students from Singapore. But is TIMSS really a good yardstick for comparison across countries? We all know that when we compare something there must be a basis for comparison. That basis of comparison must be valid for everyone or everything tested otherwise the tests will be rendered meaningless.

So how does TIMSS fare in this regard? Read this article by Gerald R. Bracey and draw your own conclusions. It does seems that while TIMSS tells the truth, it does not tell the complete truth. One wonders also if the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore is aware of this.