It was shown to have declined that the math, science, and reading skills of youths in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and in Korea compared with three years ago. In particular, reading skills was found to have fallen sharply, influenced by more time spent consuming digital content and a decrease in reading volume.
◇ Reading scores plunge 15 points; math and science also decline
The OECD announced the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 on Dec. 8. PISA is an assessment conducted every three years to gauge academic achievement by evaluating 15-year-old students in math, science, reading, and innovation. A total of 760,000 students from 91 countries, including 38 OECD member countries, took part in this assessment. In Korea, about 7,000 students from 196 schools participated.
In the assessment, the science, math, and reading scores of students in OECD member countries and in Korea all was shown to have declined compared with the results three years ago.
Science, which averaged 485 points three years ago, fell 3 points to 482; math declined 9 points from 472 to 463. Reading dropped by as many as 15 points, from 476 to 461. Korea's average scores also fell: science by 2 points from 528 to 526 and math by 5 points from 527 to 522. Reading dropped 14 points from 515 to 501.
The Ministry of Education said, "There is a need to seek ways to support students so they can fully build reading and math literacy," adding it will push to ▲ revitalize reading education ▲ support a discussion-centered classroom culture.
◇ Korea also in the top group amid East Asia's strength
Looking at country rankings, Korea maintained high-level achievement. Overall, students' academic achievement was shown to have declined to be high in East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Among the 38 OECD member countries, Korea ranked between 1st and 2nd in math, 1st and 3rd in science, and 1st and 9th in reading. In "learning in the digital world," an innovation domain, it ranked between 2nd and 5th. PISA does not assign simple rankings based on average scores; it ranks using a range method according to each assessment's standard distribution chart.
Expanding the scope to all participating countries, Korea ranked between 5th and 7th in math and science, 3rd and 13th in reading, and 6th and 10th in learning in the digital world.
Among all participating countries, China (Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang) ranked first in average scores in science and math. Only in reading did it rank second after Singapore. Singapore was tallied as second in science and math academic achievement, apart from reading. Among OECD member countries, Korea, Japan, and Estonia took the top group.
An official at the Ministry of Education said, "We will comprehensively analyze the PISA results and actively use them to improve education policy by studying the education policies of top-performing countries and international education trends."