--- title: "Global student performance hits lowest point in 25 years" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years" category: "Politics" published: "2026-09-08T15:05:29.921Z" source_reported: "2026-09-08T14:42:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-08T16:15:07.124Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-08T16:15:07.061133+00:00" --- # Global student performance hits lowest point in 25 years *OECD PISA 2025 results show sharp declines in reading, maths, and science, with AI use a contributing factor.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the OECD, and two independent outlets published full reports. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reports clearly separate facts from comment and provide specific figures, dates, and places. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and digests use strong language like 'worse than ever' and 'sharply deteriorated'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Global 15-year-old students' performance in reading, mathematics, and science is at its lowest point in 25 years, based on OECD's PISA 2025 results. - Average scores across OECD countries have declined significantly in all three subjects, with reading scores showing the steepest drop. - The share of 'hasty readers,' students who rush through texts, has nearly doubled since 2018, contributing to the decline in reading ability. - While AI use is widespread, students who do not use AI chatbots for schoolwork generally outperform those who do, though the relationship is complex. Global 15-year-old students are performing at their weakest levels in reading, mathematics, and science since global testing began 25 years ago, according to the OECD's PISA 2025 results. The assessment covered over 760,000 students across 91 countries and economies. Average performance across OECD countries has reached the lowest recorded scores in all three core subjects. Reading scores across OECD countries fell 28 points between 2015 and 2025, with a 25-point drop occurring between 2018 and 2025 alone. Mathematics scores declined by 22 points over the decade, with a particularly sharp fall after 2018. Science scores slipped 7 points over ten years and remained broadly stable between 2022 and 2025. The share of 'hasty readers,' students who rush through texts and provide quick, incorrect answers, nearly doubled between 2018 and 2025, rising from about 7% to 11%. Performance dropped most sharply on tasks requiring evaluation of information and connecting material across multiple sources. Students reported spending less effort on the test than in previous years. ## Disagreement on AI's impact The Economic Times and Hindustan Times report that the widespread use of AI tools and social media platforms has contributed to a sharp deterioration in reading skills. However, Startup Fortune and TechNode Global note that the relationship between AI use and performance is not straightforward. Startup Fortune states that students taught to critically assess AI output outperformed those who weren't, complicating a simple narrative. TechNode Global reports that students avoiding AI for schoolwork outscored peers in science, except when AI was used as a general study aid. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated reports printed below mention the OECD's finding that socio-economic gaps in performance narrowed between 2022 and 2025, attributed to declining scores among advantaged students rather than gains among disadvantaged ones. None of the reports mention the specific figures for non-OECD participants' scores falling by 16 points in reading and 8 points in mathematics between 2015 and 2025. No reports mention the share of students below the basic bar across OECD countries, which rose from 16% in 2022 to 20% in 2025. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (1) - Centre: 75% (6) - Right: 25% (2) 4 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-08T16:15:07.061133+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-08T16:45:06.598Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports led on the overall decline in student performance across reading, mathematics, and science. The Economic Times and Hindustan Times highlighted the role of AI and digital distractions in this decline, with Hindustan Times quoting Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's director for education and skills, who called reading 'the mother of all skills'. Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal also focused on AI's negative impact on learning. Euronews noted the decline in all three subjects and the changing traditional divide between advantaged and disadvantaged students. OECD.org's digest stated that student performance had reached the lowest average ever recorded by PISA in mathematics and reading. ### Right - Right-rated reports from Times of India and Kronen Zeitung focused on the overall decline in student performance. The Times of India digest mentioned that 15-year-olds show the weakest performance globally in reading, math, and science, and that digital distractions and AI use present complex challenges. Kronen Zeitung stated that domestic pupils' performance is significantly higher than the OECD cut, but this is only because successes in other OECD countries have fallen even more. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 5 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Irish Times](https://irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2026/09/08/pervasive-decline-educators-must-re-engage-young-people-with-reading-says-oecd) — ‘Pervasive’ decline: Educators must re-engage young people with reading, says OECD - [oecd.org](https://oecd.org/en/about/news/press-releases/2026/09/pisa-2025-students-reading-and-mathematics-performance-declined-sharply-across-the-oecd.html) — PISA 2025: Students’ reading and mathematics performance declined sharply across the OECD - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/15-year-olds-are-reading-calculating-and-reasoning-worse-than-ever-thanks-to-ai-oecd-finds/articleshow/133925663.cms) — 15-year-olds are reading, calculating and reasoning worse than ever, thanks to AI, OECD finds - [The Economic Times](https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/education/15-year-olds-are-reading-calculating-and-reasoning-worse-than-ever-thanks-to-ai-oecd-finds/articleshow/133925663.cms) — 15-year-olds are reading, calculating and reasoning worse than ever, thanks to AI, OECD finds - [DiarioBitcoin](https://diariobitcoin.com/noticias/la-ocde-advierte-que-usar-ia-a-diario-puede-empeorar-los-resultados-escolares) — OECD Warns that Using AI on a Daily Basis Can Worsen School Outcomes - [Startup Fortune](https://startupfortune.com/oecd-finds-students-who-use-ai-chatbots-daily-score-far-worse-on-tests) — OECD Finds Students Who Use AI Chatbots Daily Score Far Worse on Tests - [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-08/school-students-who-use-ai-get-worse-test-scores-oecd-warns) — School Students Who Use AI Get Worse Test Scores, OECD Warns - [Wall Street Journal](https://wsj.com/articles/ai-use-contributes-to-global-decline-in-student-reading-skills-oecd-says-2bfd591a) — AI Use Contributes to Global Decline in Student Reading Skills, OECD Says - [Euronews](https://euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/08/pupils-reading-and-maths-skills-slump-across-the-world-as-digitalisation-soars-pisa-study-) — Pupils getting worse at reading, maths and science, PISA study shows - [TechNode Global](https://technode.global/2026/09/08/students-avoiding-ai-for-schoolwork-outscore-peers-in-science-bar-one-use-oecd) — Students avoiding AI for schoolwork outscore peers in science: OECD - [Kronen Zeitung](https://krone.at/4286789) — Pupils Perform (Almost) Worse Everywhere - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/ai-use-contributes-to-global-decline-in-student-reading-skills-oecd-says-101788859657032.html) — AI Use Contributes to Global Decline in Student Reading Skills, OECD Says - [Publico](https://publico.pt/2026/09/08/sociedade/noticia/pisa-2025-alunos-recorrem-frequentemente-ia-trabalhos-piores-resultados-ciencias-2187297) — PISA 2025: Students Who Frequently Use AI to Do Assignments Perform Worse in Science. ## Questions **What are the PISA 2025 results for global student performance?** The OECD's PISA 2025 results show that 15-year-old students worldwide are performing at their weakest levels in reading, mathematics, and science since global testing began 25 years ago. Average scores across OECD countries have hit record lows in all three subjects. **How have reading scores changed?** Reading scores across OECD countries have declined significantly, falling 28 points between 2015 and 2025. The report notes that this drop is equivalent to losing approximately one year of schooling, with students now reading at a level previously expected of younger students. **What is the impact of AI on student performance?** The PISA 2025 results suggest a complex relationship between AI use and student performance. Generally, students who do not use AI chatbots for schoolwork are outperforming those who do. However, the impact can vary, and students taught to critically assess AI output showed better results. **Which students experienced the largest score declines?** The OECD report indicates that socio-economic gaps in performance narrowed, but this was due to declining scores among advantaged students rather than gains among disadvantaged ones. In science, advantaged students' scores fell while disadvantaged students' performance held steady. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Global student performance hits lowest point in 25 years", https://mediabias.news/politics/global-student-performance-hits-lowest-point-in-25-years