PISA 2025 Results Reveal Global Decline in Student Performance

The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results indicate a global decline in student performance, particularly in reading and mathematics. In France, students recorded their lowest scores since the ranking began in 2000, with declines of 18 points in reading and 16 points in mathematics compared to 2022. In Colombia, results remained relatively stable but stayed significantly below the OECD average, with only 1 percent of students reaching the superior level in reading. Malaysia also saw a decline in performance, with only 35 percent of students attaining basic proficiency in mathematics. Experts and officials across different regions have attributed these trends to various factors, including the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the influence of digital ecosystems such as TikTok and artificial intelligence. In Colombia, the prolonged closure of schools during the pandemic is cited as a primary cause for learning gaps in primary education. In France, the Council of Economic Analysis warned that failing to improve these results could lead to a GDP drop of approximately 150 billion euros by 2050 due to lower productivity and higher youth unemployment. In Malaysia, former Education Minister Maszlee Malek argued that the results should be viewed as a national progress report rather than a personal report card for current government officials, noting that educational outcomes are shaped over many years.