PISA warns of historic decline in student performance, especially in reading

Students in the countries assessed by PISA recorded the lowest average performance ever observed, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD described the deterioration in reading as particularly worrying.

The latest assessment examined the skills of about 760,000 15-year-olds in 91 countries and territories across science, reading and mathematics. Asian systems again dominated the rankings. China’s regions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang led in science and mathematics, while Singapore topped reading. Macao, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea also ranked among the strongest performers.

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lowest average performance ever observed

No Latin American country appeared among the top systems in all three subjects. Uruguay, Costa Rica and El Salvador nevertheless improved their science results compared with the previous report, published three years earlier. In Europe, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Finland and Ireland performed above the OECD average, as did Canada and New Zealand outside Europe.

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especially worrying

The OECD said science results had remained broadly stable overall, but reading and mathematics had fallen by more than 20 points. Éric Charbonnier, an education specialist at the organization, said a 20-point change is roughly equivalent to one year of schooling. Between 2015 and 2025, science scores fell by an average of seven points in OECD countries. Mathematics declined by 22 points in those countries, compared with eight points elsewhere.

Reading showed the steepest decline. Scores fell by 28 points in OECD countries over the decade, compared with 16 points in other participating systems. The OECD said reading underpins most school learning, including solving an algebra problem, analyzing a historical source and interpreting a scientific experiment.

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Science results have remained approximately stable, but there has been a decline of more than 20 points in reading and mathematics.

The organization cited several possible factors, including increased screen use, declining interest in reading among young people and changes in students’ relationship with school since the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also examined artificial intelligence in classrooms. More intensive use of AI was generally associated with lower science results, although high-performing systems such as Singapore and Macao were among those where students reported using AI most frequently.

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solving an algebra problem, analyzing a historical source or interpreting a scientific experiment