“PISA scores are falling: Are today’s students less capable in the AI age?”, Firstpost, 19 Sep 2026.
“The latest PISA results have stoked the familiar flames of anguish. They show that school-going teenagers are losing their grip on reading, mathematics and science.
For those unfamiliar with PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment is an international assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that tests 15-year-olds across participating countries, usually every three years. The 2025 assessment was the ninth PISA cycle, covering 91 countries and more than 760,000 students. Students are evaluated on how well they can apply reading, mathematics and science knowledge to solve real-world problems.
The 2025 results, released on September 8, show that student performance across OECD countries has fallen to its lowest recorded level. Reading scores dropped 28 points between 2015 and 2025, equivalent to roughly one and a half years of learning. Mathematics fell by 22 points, while science remained relatively stable, though still concerning.
The explanation is already familiar: too much screen time, less reading for pleasure and constant digital distraction. The share of “hasty readers” — students who answer quickly but incorrectly — has also risen sharply since 2018.
Although India is not part of the OECD’s PISA comparison, the findings broadly echo concerns here too. Excessive screen usage, changing reading habits and uneven access to digital learning may be reshaping how students learn across geographies………..”
Read the full article at Firstpost.
