Story perspectives

Turkey Sees Biggest OECD Gains in PISA 2025

9/10/2026

Summary

Students' PISA Scores

Australia’s 15-year-old students performed above the OECD average in science, reading and mathematics in PISA 2025.
Turkey’s 15-year-old students recorded the largest OECD gains in science, reading and mathematics in PISA 2025.
Israel’s 15-year-old students fell 38 points in reading, 25 in mathematics and 23 in science from 2022 to 2025.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited a 300-point gap between top and bottom PISA science performers to promote school-choice.

Summary

Students Use AI

OECD reports students who use AI to write essays score roughly 20 points lower in science assessments.
46% of pupils worldwide use AI tools for schoolwork, with Ukraine reporting 54% weekly usage.
In Ireland, 78% of students attend schools banning smartphones, up from 56% in 2022.
The share of “hasty readers” who skim and answer incorrectly nearly doubled since 2018, reaching about 9% in 2025.

History

Historical Context

The OECD launched the first Programme for International Student Assessment in 2000, testing roughly 265,000 fifteen-year-olds from dozens of economies. That inaugural triennial study created a global benchmark that continues to shape education policy, with Australia and Turkey remaining among higher-scoring participants and prompting officials such as U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to cite persistent performance gaps.

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Students' PISA Scores

Australia’s 15-year-old students performed above the OECD average in science, reading and mathematics in PISA 2025.
Turkey’s 15-year-old students recorded the largest OECD gains in science, reading and mathematics in PISA 2025.
Israel’s 15-year-old students fell 38 points in reading, 25 in mathematics and 23 in science from 2022 to 2025.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cited a 300-point gap between top and bottom PISA science performers to promote school-choice.

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