Story perspectives

OECD: Germany’s PISA results hit weakest since 2000

9/9/2026

Summary

Germany Fails PISA

Germany records weakest PISA results since the test began, with one-third of 15-year-olds lacking basic skills.
OECD reports reading scores fell 28 points across member countries between 2015 and 2025, the steepest drop on record.
Researchers attribute decline to higher screen time, short-form video, social-media, and weekly AI chatbot use by over 40% of students.
AI-using students score 20 points lower in science than peers who do not use chatbots.

Summary

Australia Funding Gap

A federal-state deal will fully fund public schools only after 2034, leaving a funding gap until then.
Public school students score about 50 points lower than independent schools, a two-and-half-year gap.
First Nations students score 72 points lower in science, 76 in reading and 74 in mathematics than non-First Nations peers.
44% of Australian students missed at least one school day in two weeks before testing, versus 24% OECD average.

Summary

Rosa Defends Data

Abelardo de la Rosa said the government will not hide the poor science results.
He attributed the PISA score decline to digitalisation, not the LOMLOE law.
Catalonia’s 23% student exclusion rate makes its PISA data non-comparable and sparks controversy.
The Ministry warned Murcia (13% excluded) and Balearic Islands (7.5% excluded) data may be biased.
Spain’s perseverance index is 0.26, above the OECD average of 0 and EU’s –0.04.

History

Historical Context

In 2001 the OECD released the first PISA results from the 2000 assessment, testing about 265,000 fifteen-year-olds in 28 OECD and four partner countries. Germany’s scores fell below the OECD average, triggering the “PISA shock” that prompted Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s government to adopt nationwide education standards. Decades later Germany again records some of the lowest PISA outcomes, echoing the original reform impetus.

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Germany Fails PISA

Germany records weakest PISA results since the test began, with one-third of 15-year-olds lacking basic skills.
OECD reports reading scores fell 28 points across member countries between 2015 and 2025, the steepest drop on record.
Researchers attribute decline to higher screen time, short-form video, social-media, and weekly AI chatbot use by over 40% of students.
AI-using students score 20 points lower in science than peers who do not use chatbots.

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