A recent study based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has revealed that UK teenagers have fallen behind their counterparts in high-performing countries in mathematics, reading, and science, with the impact likely linked to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PISA study, which assesses 15-year-olds in 81 countries, reported an unprecedented decline in performance across many nations, including the UK. The UK’s scores in all three subjects dropped compared to 2018 levels, with the most significant reductions seen in mathematics and reading, placing the UK in 11th position globally.
Specifically, the UK’s math score decreased by 13 points (from 502 to 489), and the reading score dropped by 10 points (from 504 to 494). In science, there was a decade-long decline, with the UK’s score dropping from 505 in 2018 to 500 in 2022.
Despite these challenges, the UK has seen a marginal improvement in rankings. In mathematics, it climbed to joint 12th place, up from joint 17th in 2018. Similarly, in reading, the UK rose to 13th place, compared to joint 14th in the previous assessment. In science, the ranking remained at joint 14th.
Andreas Schleicher, OECD education and skills director, noted that while the UK’s decline was slower than the average across OECD countries, high-performing nations like Singapore and Japan continued to improve results during the pandemic, highlighting a contrasting trend.
The study, usually conducted every three years, was postponed by a year due to the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, which included lockdowns and school closures. Nearly 13,000 UK students participated in the study, which involved two-hour tests for each subject.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan acknowledged the results and attributed them to the hard work of teachers, students, and government initiatives to raise school standards over the past 13 years. However, the study suggests that underlying structural factors, possibly exacerbated by the pandemic, warrant serious consideration by policymakers.
