Pupils' reading, mathematics and science skills are declining across the globe, according to the OECD's latest PISA report, largely attributed to digitalisation and a drop in recreational reading. The study, which measures the abilities of 15-year-olds, found that student performance across OECD countries reached a record low in both maths and reading.
Cyprus among lower-performing EU states
Among EU countries, pupils in Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, Malta, Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria scored below the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science. Only Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Poland and Czechia achieved a mean performance above the average across all three subjects.
Reading sees steepest decline
Reading recorded the steepest fall, with scores dropping by 28 points across OECD members between 2015 and 2025. Pupils from wealthy families fell furthest behind. The report linked the decline to increased digitalisation, longer screen time, and falling rates of reading for enjoyment, warning that this affects "the very skills that matter most in the AI age: evaluating information, making connections across multiple sources and thinking critically about what we read." The report also noted that the share of "hasty readers" - students who rush through texts and give quick but incorrect answers - almost doubled between 2018 and 2025.
In 2025, seven EU countries recorded a mean performance significantly above the OECD average, while 13 member states scored considerably below it.
Mathematics and science also affected
Mathematics scores fell by 22 points over the past decade, equivalent to just over one year of learning. Last year, 11 EU countries scored above the OECD average in maths, compared with nine member states scoring significantly below.
Science proved comparatively resilient, registering the smallest decline of the three subjects. Only eight EU countriesscored above the OECD average in science, while 10 EU countries scored below it.
Inequality gap narrowing, but not for the reason expected
The report found that the socio-economic gap in education is narrowing, but not because disadvantaged students are improving. Instead, the shift largely reflects declining performance among advantaged students. In science, disadvantaged students' performance remained stable across OECD countries, while advantaged students' performance fell by eight points. In reading, disadvantaged students' scores fell by four points, compared with a 20-point declineamong advantaged students. In mathematics, advantaged students' performance fell by 14 points, while the change among disadvantaged students was not statistically significant.
Spending does not guarantee results
The report also found that higher education spending does not necessarily translate into better outcomes. Luxembourg, the biggest spender on education among the countries cited, spending around €248,479 per student, posted lower average science scores than Ireland, France and Italy, all of which invested less than half that amount per student.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said the most successful education systems "focus on fewer areas in greater depth, invest in teachers, engage parents and provide targeted support for the students and schools that need it the most." He added that technology and AI can strengthen learning "but only when used purposefully and not as a substitute for attention, effort and understanding."
Source: Euronews
