Global Education Crisis: Pandemic's Impact on Math and Reading Skills Revealed

The OECD has reported an unprecedented decline in mathematics and reading skills among teenagers across multiple countries, with COVID school closures only partially to blame. The decline in performance since 2000 has been particularly steep, with reading scores falling by an average of 10 points and mathematics scores by 15 points. Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland saw significant drops in mathematics scores. One in four 15-year-olds tested were classified as low performers in mathematics, reading, and science. The OECD emphasized the need for policymakers to address underlying structural factors in education systems and highlighted Singapore as a top performer in all subjects.