The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has exposed a sustained decline in France's performance among 15‑year‑olds, with particularly large falls in reading and mathematics over the past decade, according to data published by the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD).
Key declines in core domains
The survey, administered to about 760,000 young people across 91 countries and territories, including approximately 6,500 French students, placed science as the major focus for 2025. While science results are relatively stable, both reading comprehension and mathematical literacy have fallen substantially compared with the last PISA round in 2022.
Éric Charbonnier, an education specialist at the OECD, said France remains around the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science, but that "scores are steadily declining." The OECD notes a fall of 18 points in reading and 16 points in mathematics between 2022 and 2025. The organisation estimates that a 20‑point difference roughly equals one year of schooling.
"While France remains in line with the OECD average in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science, scores are steadily declining." — Éric Charbonnier, OECD education specialist
Trends over a decade and falling top performers
Looking back to 2012, the downward trajectory is clearer. Science scores decreased from 499 in 2012 to 483 in 2025. Reading fell from 505 to 456, and mathematics from 484 to 458 over the same period.
Alongside average score declines, the share of high‑performing students has shrunk markedly:
- Mathematics: 5% high performers in 2025, down from 11% in 2015.
- Reading: 5% high performers in 2025, down from 13% in 2015.
| Domain | 2012 score | 2025 score |
|---|---|---|
| Science | 499 | 483 |
| Reading | 505 | 456 |
| Mathematics | 484 | 458 |
Government reaction and diagnosis
France's Education Minister Édouard Geffray described the ranking as "concerning," telling a national daily that the decline was not unexpected and pointing to broader societal and pedagogical shifts. He singled out the influence of social media and what he called "diminishing parental involvement in schooling." In stark language he characterised social media as a "weapon of mass intellectual destruction."
"A powerful underlying trend – a shift in how 21st‑century children are educated and taught... social media – calling it a 'weapon of mass intellectual destruction'... diminishing parental involvement in schooling." — Édouard Geffray, French Education Minister
Geffray also criticised what he described as "vague learning objectives", especially at middle‑school level, and said sharpening those objectives would be a major focus for the next five‑year term.
What this means for educators and parents
For teachers, parents and education planners, the OECD's plain‑language metric — that about 20 points approximates a year of schooling — provides a stark way to think about learning loss. The shrinking share of high performers in mathematics and reading is especially worrying for countries aiming to sustain innovation and skilled labour supply.
While these findings concern France specifically, international PISA results often stimulate debate on curriculum clarity, assessment practices, the role of out‑of‑school influences on learning and the need for targeted support for struggling learners. Policymakers elsewhere, including in South Africa, can draw lessons about the importance of clear learning goals, school‑home partnerships and the potential impact of digital media on attention and study habits.
The OECD data set for 2025 will now be scrutinised by systems worldwide as they consider how to reverse downward trends and strengthen foundation skills for all learners.
