The latest OECD PISA report has sent shockwaves through European education systems, revealing that 15-year-olds across the continent are performing worse in maths and reading than ever before. The standardized tests, taken by over 760,000 teenagers in dozens of countries, show a record drop in average scores across the OECD, with digitalisation and a decline in recreational reading cited as key factors.
Within the European Union, students in Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, Malta, Greece, Romania, Cyprus, and Bulgaria now score below the OECD average in all three core subjects. Only Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Poland, and Czechia managed to outperform the average, highlighting a stark divide between northern and southern Europe.
France: 'Cognitive destruction' and a focus on middle schools
French Education Minister Édouard Geffray did not mince words, describing the situation as a form of “cognitive destruction” among young people. In an interview with Le Monde, he warned that teenagers who spend three hours a day on their phones during class lose the equivalent of almost two school years. He blamed the “overconsumption of social networks” and pledged to make middle schools the “major focus of the next five-year term” to implement more effective teaching practices.
The PISA report logged the steepest decline in reading, with scores falling by 28 points across OECD members between 2015 and 2025. Notably, pupils from wealthy families saw the largest drops, a trend that experts attribute to increased screen time and a fall in reading for enjoyment. The report itself warns: “Most troubling is the decline in the very skills that matter most in the AI age: evaluating information, making connections across multiple sources and thinking critically about what we read.”
Spain: Reading comprehension as the 'root of all educational problems'
Spain’s education minister, Milagros Tolón, called the results “the worst ever” since PISA testing began in 2000. Speaking to Cadena Ser radio, she insisted that a lack of reading comprehension is “the root of all educational problems.” She added, “If you don't understand what you read, it's impossible to solve a problem in math, physics, chemistry, or any other subject.” Tolón acknowledged that the decline may be linked to new technologies, citing the OECD’s findings on screen time and “rushed and superficial reading habits.” Since 2024, Spain has been promoting cooperation programmes to strengthen both reading comprehension and mathematics.
Netherlands: A promise to reverse the downward trend
In the Netherlands, the results have sparked alarm, with almost four in ten children now at risk of leaving school with low literacy levels. Junior Education Minister Judith Thielen has promised an action plan this autumn to tackle the issue. “It is my ambition to stop the downward trend and turn it around,” she said. “I want to see better results in three years’ time.”
Parental involvement and digital distraction
The report also highlights the role of parental engagement. Compared with 2022, almost every country saw a drop in families' support for children’s education, especially for boys. Students who reported that a family member asks them weekly about their school day scored around 35 points higher on the PISA science test—equivalent to over a year and a half of learning—even after adjusting for socioeconomic differences. Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s director for education and skills, noted that “parents see themselves more as a client of the school, not as someone who takes personal interest.”
Digital distraction remains a major concern. Over a quarter of students in high-income countries said their classmates were distracted by digital devices in most or every science class. However, countries with strong policies controlling mobile phone use in schools reported lower distraction rates. Interestingly, students who used digital devices for two to three hours per day in school scored higher, but scores fell once usage exceeded that threshold. Schleicher emphasized that the association between leisure device use and lower scores is strong, while the impact of tech for learning is more nuanced.
As European governments grapple with these findings, the pressure is on to translate pledges into concrete action. The struggle with basic reading among young Europeans is a growing concern, and the PISA results underscore the urgency. With the rise of AI reshaping the skills needed for the future, reversing this decline is not just an educational priority but an economic and social imperative.
