PISA 2025 RESULTS: WHAT DO THEY TELL US ABOUT EDUCATION TODAY?
In September 2026, the OECD published the results of PISA 2025, one of the world’s most significant international studies of education. More than 760,000 15-year-old students participated in the latest cycle, representing approximately 33 million young people across 91 countries and economies. OECD
For Sage College, a British international school in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, these findings are particularly relevant. As a school delivering the British curriculum in Spain, our educational community sits at the intersection of two of the contexts represented in the study: Spain and the United Kingdom.
However, PISA 2025 is about much more than international rankings. Its findings raise important questions about how young people learn, the skills they will need for the future and the role played by wellbeing, critical thinking, technology, artificial intelligence, family and teacher support, and students’ sense of belonging at school.
What is PISA and what does it assess?
PISA — the Programme for International Student Assessment — is an OECD study of 15-year-old students around the world. Rather than focusing solely on whether students can reproduce curriculum content, PISA examines how effectively they can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired to real-life situations and problems. OECD
In PISA 2025, science was the main assessment domain, alongside reading and mathematics. The latest cycle also included an innovative assessment of Learning in the Digital World, examining computational problem-solving skills. OECD
This makes its findings particularly relevant at a time when education must prepare students for a world characterised by abundant information, digitalisation and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
A decline that deserves our attention
One of the clearest messages from PISA 2025 is that academic performance continues to face significant challenges across many education systems.
Average performance across OECD countries reached the lowest levels observed so far in science, reading and mathematics. Looking at the longer-term picture since 2015, average mathematics performance fell by 22 points across the OECD, while reading fell by 28 points. Science proved more resilient, although its average score also declined. OECD
Particularly significant is the finding that one in five 15-year-olds across OECD countries is now a low performer in all three core subjects, compared with 16% in 2022. OECD
Reading deserves particular attention. Reading proficiency today involves much more than understanding the words on a page. Students must be able to interpret information, connect different sources, assess their reliability and think critically about what they read.
PISA also found that hasty reading — reading quickly but inaccurately — almost doubled between 2018 and 2025. OECD
Critical thinking in the age of artificial intelligence
This becomes even more important as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life.
Students now have access to an almost unlimited amount of information. Teaching them how to find information is therefore no longer enough. They must also learn how to interpret it, challenge it, compare sources and decide whether information is trustworthy.
PISA 2025 demonstrates the scale of this challenge. Across OECD countries, fewer than half of students — 46% — reported both checking the credibility of information sources and placing greater trust in scientific evidence than in common sense. OECD
Skills such as critical thinking, argumentation, problem-solving and intellectual independence are therefore becoming increasingly important.
At Sage College, these competencies form part of the approach to learning we seek to develop through the British curriculum. Education is not simply about knowing the correct answer; students need to learn how to ask questions, examine evidence, communicate ideas and develop their own reasoning.
Technology and AI: how we use them matters
PISA 2025 also pays particular attention to the role of technology and artificial intelligence in education.
The findings suggest a more nuanced picture than simply viewing technology as either positive or negative. Moderate use of digital devices for educational purposes is associated with stronger science performance, whereas excessive use and digital distraction are associated with weaker outcomes. In addition, 28% of students across OECD countries report that their classmates are distracted by digital devices during most or every science lesson. OECD
Artificial intelligence presents a similar challenge. The question is no longer simply whether students use AI tools, but how they can use them without replacing the intellectual effort required to understand, reason and learn independently.
The OECD itself emphasises that AI should add to students’ learning rather than replace the thinking involved in genuine understanding. OECD
Academic performance is only part of the picture
Another important feature of PISA 2025 is its broader view of learning.
The report considers curiosity, perseverance, goal setting, help seeking, growth mindset and cognitive adaptability. The analysis prepared by the Sage College Pastoral Department highlights that these dimensions of student engagement are positively associated with science performance. PISA25 summary
This reinforces an important principle: education is about more than delivering academic content.
Preparing students for their future also means helping them develop independence, perseverance, adaptability and the strategies they need to continue learning throughout their lives.
Belonging at school matters too
PISA 2025 also considers the environment in which learning takes place.
Across OECD countries, 76% of students report feeling that they belong at school. In Spain, the figure reaches 90%, placing it among the highest recorded in the study. OECD
The findings also reveal important relationships between school climate, support and student outcomes. Bullying, for example, is associated with both lower performance and a weaker sense of belonging. PISA25 summary
At Sage College, this dimension is embedded within our educational structure. The school already has a dedicated Pastoral Care Department and a structured Behaviour Framework designed to provide students with a consistent and predictable experience of school life. PISA25 summary
Wellbeing and support should therefore not be considered separately from learning. They are part of the environment in which successful learning can take place.
Spain and the United Kingdom: two particularly relevant contexts for Sage College
As a British school in Spain, the findings for both countries are particularly interesting for the Sage College community.
The analysis prepared by our Pastoral Department using PISA 2025 data highlights some notable differences. Spain records a sense-of-belonging index of 0.46, compared with an OECD average of 0.09 and 0.05 in the United Kingdom. For teacher support, the United Kingdom records 0.23, compared with 0.05 in Spain and an OECD average of 0.03. PISA25 summary
In science, Spain achieved a score of 470, compared with 511 in the United Kingdom and an OECD average of 482. PISA25 summary
These figures should not simply be used to decide which education system is ‘better’. Instead, they provide an opportunity to understand what different contexts are doing well and where challenges remain.
What does PISA 2025 mean for Sage College?
The PISA 2025 results reinforce many of the questions currently shaping education: How can we maintain students’ curiosity? How should we teach young people to use artificial intelligence responsibly? How do we develop readers who can distinguish reliable information from misinformation? What role do families play? How important is a sense of belonging? And how can we respond to individual needs while maintaining high academic expectations?
There is no single answer to these questions.
At Sage College, our approach brings together the British curriculum, learning in English, individualised support and a strong academic and pastoral structure. The school also provides specific wellbeing and self-regulation interventions, support for students with individual needs and Cambridge Access Arrangements where appropriate. PISA25 summary
PISA 2025 reminds us that preparing young people for the future requires us to look beyond a grade. Students need strong academic foundations, but they also need critical thinking, independence, wellbeing, the ability to use technology thoughtfully and an educational environment in which they feel supported and able to progress.
Over the coming weeks, we will explore each of these themes in greater depth on the Sage College blog.
