Theguardian iconTheguardianSep 19, 2026

European education powerhouses rocked by falling scores in global study

France and Germany among countries with low Pisa scores, which show how well 15-year-olds use school learning in life France's were its worst ever. Even in Finland, Europe's much-vaunted schools champion and a global leader for decades, scores plummeted.

European education powerhouses rocked by falling scores in global study

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France and Germany among countries with low Pisa scores, which show how well 15-year-olds use school learning in life France's were its worst ever.

Even in Finland, Europe's much-vaunted schools champion and a global leader for decades, scores plummeted.

The 2025 Pisa scores, which assess how effectively 15-year-olds apply school-learned knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics and science to real-life situations, have rocked some of western Europe's...

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France and Germany among countries with low Pisa scores, which show how well 15-year-olds use school learning in life France's were its worst ever. Even in Finland, Europe's much-vaunted schools champion and a global leader for decades, scores plummeted. The 2025 Pisa scores, which assess how effectively 15-year-olds apply school-learned knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics and science to real-life situations, have rocked some of western Europe's education powerhouses.

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In the Netherlands, results also tumbled to all-time lows.

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