PISA results show global decline in math and reading as Estonia tops Europe

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PISA results show global decline in math and reading as Estonia tops Europe
Global PISA 2025 results reveal sharpest decline in OECD student scores since testing began
ContinuationPISA 2025 results reveal sharp decline in reading, core skills across five European nations
The latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment results, published Tuesday, show a global decline in 15-year-olds’ math and reading skills, with Estonia leading Europe in performance.
Andreas Schleicher, founder of the OECD’s PISA tests, told Euronews that artificial intelligence, smartphones and social media may contribute to the decline. “The bottom line is quite simple: You don’t get fit by watching sports. You get fit by doing sports,” Schleicher said. “And the same is true with learning. Learning doesn’t come through the consumption of content; learning comes by engaging with ideas to compare and contrast. And AI can hollow out that very process.”
In Norway, teacher Amanda Haugerø-Carlson urged caution in interpreting the results, arguing it was wrong to present PISA as a definitive measure of school quality. The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training supported her call for restraint, according to Aftenposten .
Estonia’s top European ranking was celebrated as a collective achievement by students, teachers and parents, with one Estonian commentator noting the shift from past norms where homework was rarely done collaboratively . Meanwhile, Finland, once a global leader in early PISA assessments, acknowledged a steady decline in scores, though it remains above the OECD average .
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