England has overtaken the rest of the United Kingdom in international education assessments, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) data. The 2025 report reveals that while English students improved their standing in reading, mathematics, and science, peers in Scotland and Wales saw their rankings drop.
The OECD-administered tests, conducted among 760,000 fifteen-year-olds across 91 countries, highlight a concerning global trend: a widespread decline in teenage reading abilities. Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s director of education, described reading as the foundational skill of all learning and noted that the ability to comprehend complex texts has regressed by the equivalent of two school years over the past decade.
Among UK nations, performance diverged sharply. In England, scores rose across all three core subjects. Conversely, Scotland and Wales experienced slumps in reading and maths, though both saw modest gains in science. Wales, while lagging domestically, still outperformed several European nations including France, Spain, and the Netherlands in science.
Georgia Gould, England’s schools minister, stated that the government aims to build upon these positive outcomes, ensuring all students leave school with robust literacy and numeracy skills. She cited Estonia as a model where academic rigor coexists with high-quality vocational pathways, aligning with recent announcements to introduce technical subjects for English students from age 14.
Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, countered that England’s success stemmed from previous governmental reforms and accused the current administration of attempting to undermine them.
Responses from devolved governments reflected the mixed results. Anna Brychan, Wales’ minister for education and the Welsh language, acknowledged the need to prioritize improvements in reading and maths standards. In Scotland, Education Secretary Mairi McAllan highlighted existing strengths but admitted areas requiring attention, while opposition parties criticized the SNP-run system for stagnation since 2022.
The report also warned about the behavioral shift in how teenagers process information. The proportion of “hasty readers”—students who rush through texts and provide incorrect answers—nearly doubled between 2018 and 2025, with the decline most pronounced among students from relatively affluent backgrounds.
Regarding technology, the OECD cautioned against the unchecked integration of AI in classrooms. Schleicher likened the rapid rollout of AI tools to administering an untested vaccine, urging governments to establish clear guidelines. The report suggested that excessive reliance on AI could lead to “cognitive off-loading,” where students avoid independent information retrieval.
At Meadow Park Academy in Coventry, head teacher Bernadette Pettman reported that weekly book clubs and a mobile phone ban have helped counteract declining engagement with books. Year 10 student Ampaabeng credited the sessions with positively impacting his reading skills. The school’s approach aligns with Pisa findings that students who read longer books tend to perform best academically.
Comparing AI in classrooms to an untested vaccine is a brilliant warning. We must regulate educational technology before it damages cognition.
Scotland’s decline is worrying. Are we seeing the long-term effects of curriculum changes since 2022? Needs investigation.
Doubled hasty readers? This digital distraction crisis is terrifying. We need to prioritise deep reading skills urgently.
England rising while others fall is a stark divergence. Hope this bridges the gap rather than widening political divisions.