Israeli schoolchildren show record drop in PISA
Published PISA data for 2022–2025 recorded a record drop in Israeli schoolchildren's performance in reading, science, and mathematics. In reading, the country lost 7 positions and 38 points, equivalent to two years of schooling. Israel ranked 31st in reading and 33rd in science and mathematics among 38 OECD countries.
Published data from the international PISA study for 2022–2025 recorded a record drop in Israeli schoolchildren's performance across all key disciplines. In reading, the country lost 7 positions in the global ranking, plummeting by 38 points — equivalent to losing two full years of schooling. In science, Israel dropped 8 places, scoring 442 points against the OECD average of 484. In mathematics, the decline was 6 positions and 25 points (average result 433 points against the OECD standard of 465), equivalent to losing a year of school. In the overall OECD ranking, Israel ranked 31st in reading and 33rd in science and mathematics out of 38. The report also revealed a deep motivation crisis: Israeli teenagers ranked second among all developed countries in the share of students who consider school a waste of time. Half of school principals acknowledged that the learning process is regularly disrupted due to an acute teacher shortage. A huge social gap persists: the share of strong students is only 8.8% versus 11.9% on average in the OECD, while the share of weak students reaches 29% (compared to the average of 19.7%). The gap between affluent students and children from vulnerable families is a record 82 points. The testing took place amid a military conflict, but experts agree that systemic problems can no longer be blamed solely on the war.