Pisa results show education strengths but need for investment, union

Published on Tuesday, the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which records the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds' performance in science, mathematics and reading, recorded no significant change between 2022 and 2025. Previous longer-term declines seen in all three domains did not continue in the latest Pisa cycle, although performance remains significantly below that achieved in several earlier cycles. In 2025, the mean reading score for Scottish pupils was 488, compared to 493 in 2022, with a maths score in 2025 at 467, compared to 471 three years ago. In science, the 2025 mean rose to 491 from 483 in 2022. READ MORE: Rosebank 'must be next' as UK cracks down on illegal Israeli settlements Scotland performed either slightly better than, or not significantly different from, Wales and Northern Ireland in most subjects, but was below England overall. The mean reading score in Scotland in 2025 was 488, compared with 459 in Wales, 482 in Northern Ireland, and 497 in England. EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said that although the report highlighted 'key strengths' in Scotland's education system, she has called on the Scottish Government to do more to invest in young people's futures. General Secretary of EIS Andrea Bradley (Image: Supplied) 'The PISA report, although limited in what it can say about the quality of learning within any education system, telling only a fraction of the story, reflects the hard work and professional commitment of teachers, who are working in challenging circumstances,' Bradley said. 'As the report highlights, Scotland's pupils tend to be positively engaged in their learning, curious, and hold positive views about support from their families and teachers. 'Academically, young people in Scotland perform well in science and reading, and also in computational problem solving and environmental science. Performance in Maths was similar to the average level across the OECD.' Scottish reading scores in this year's Pisa were 27 points above the OECD average of 461; maths scores were 4 points above the OECD average; and science scores were 9 points above the OECD average. The 2025 study showed that 50.9% of pupils attended schools where headteachers reported that a lack of teaching staff hindered teaching to some extent or a lot, compared with 39% across other Pisa countries. Nearly two-thirds of pupils attended schools where headteachers also reported that a lack of assisting staff hindered teaching to some extent or a lot, compared to 38.5% across other Pisa countries. READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn among the 12 UK nationals banned from entering Israel Bradley said that although the report highlighted many positives, it also identified many 'substantial challenges' that continue to face Scottish education. Socio-economic background remained a significant predictor of performance, as across OECD countries, advantaged students scored 85 points higher in science than disadvantaged students. The gap narrowed between 2022 and 2025, mostly due to advantaged students performing poorer rather than disadvantaged students improving. 'Significantly, the report confirms the continuation of the long-standing link between socio-economic background and academic performance,' Bradley said. 'With nearly one child in four in Scotland living in poverty, the scarcity of GTCS registered teachers in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings where early intervention is crucial, the persistence of the poverty-related attainment gap continues to be a serious challenge for Scottish education. 'While this has been a major stated priority for government in recent years, there is a clear need for further action and significant additional investment to overcome this challenge.' Bradley highlighted that the authors of the report stressed that learning outcomes are shaped by factors such as levels of education funding, inequality, social conditions and public policy choices. She added: 'Interestingly, despite the clamour to promote AI use in education and the hard sell by big tech companies, the report clearly demonstrates that young people who do not use AI in their studies, particularly in reading, outperform those who do. 'This underscores the fundamental importance of human-centred education which fosters critical thinking. 'Further, the report shows that education systems improve through social dialogue between governments and unions, tailored solutions, and investment in education and in education professionals.' READ MORE: Great British Bake Off accused of 'English bias' ahead of new series Bradley said that PISA should be 'the beginning of a conversation, not the end of one'. Adding that 'the real question is whether the Scottish Government, which funds public services and the local authorities who are responsible for our schools are willing to make the political and financial choices necessary to realise the right to quality public education for every learner'. Bradley went on to say this would mean fully funding education for smaller class sizes and sufficient ASN provision, GTCS-registered teachers in all ELC settings, and universal free school meals. She added: 'Mission critical also is valuing education professionals, ensuring strong recruitment and retention through the offer of decent professional pay, conditions and security of employment if young people in Scotland are to receive the education that they deserve and that our society needs them to have.' Scottish Education Secretary Mairi McAllan with students at Broughton High School in Edinburgh (Image: Lesley Martin) Commenting on the 2025 PISA results, Education Secretary Mairi McAllan said the report shows the 'real strengths' in Scottish education, and added that it highlighted the areas the Scottish Government is 'working' on. She said: 'The Curriculum Improvement Cycle is the largest change to Scotland's curriculum in over ten years, which will be fully rolled out with the teaching profession by August 2028. 'These results demonstrate that Scotland's education system is competitive by international standards, performing above the OECD average on four measures out of five. 'Scotland has stabilised its international performance, which is very welcome, alongside the significant weakening in the relationship between learners' socio-economic background and performance, particularly in reading. 'This comes just weeks after this year's Qualifications Scotland results, which showed a narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap compared to both 2025 and pre-pandemic 2019, and increased pass rates at National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers. 'While recognising the positives, these results also underline the need for change in certain areas – change that I intend to lead in the coming period to ensure excellence and equity for all Scotland's young people.'