Improving Reading Skills Takes Patience, but Political Impatience Is Growing

A PISA reading question about whether a sick chicken could be given aspirin captures the kind of skill the international study seeks to measure. Students had to assess why a fictional user posted the question on an internet forum and identify the most reliable answer. The exercise tested judgment and the application of knowledge, not the memorization of school material.

The next PISA report is due Tuesday. About 6,000 Dutch students took part, completing tests in mathematics, science and reading. Reading is the area drawing the greatest concern. In 2023, the Netherlands fell below the OECD average for the first time. Among 14 European countries with a longer participation history, only Greece scored lower.

That report said one in three Dutch 15-year-olds lacked sufficient literacy to manage in a knowledge-based society. The reaction was broadly shocked, although the decline had already appeared in national assessments. The Inspectorate of Education and the Education Council had also warned about worsening performance before the 2023 report.

The setback looked particularly severe because Dutch reading results had once ranked among the strongest. Until 2012, the Netherlands was a leading performer in PISA reading assessments. Results then dropped sharply, and the decline was steeper than in other European countries. PISA did not establish causes, though researchers mentioned possible explanations, including school closures.

The government has since provided schools with extra funding for language and mathematics teaching. The article notes that there is not yet visible evidence of its impact, adding to impatience over a problem that improving reading skills requires time to address.