South Korea has maintained high scores in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluates 15-year-old students worldwide. However, a closer look reveals alarming signs of declining academic performance. The reading scores have significantly dropped, and the proportion of low-performing students in science, math, and reading has surged.
Education experts emphasize the need for tailored national support and financial investment to reduce the widening academic gap and improve basic skills.
On September 8, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) officially released the results of the PISA 2025, which assessed approximately 760,000 students from 91 countries. South Korean students outperformed the OECD average in all three subjects, ranking among the top three in science, the top nine in reading, and the top two in math among 38 member countries.
Notably, in the newly introduced area of learning in a digital world (computational problem-solving), South Korea ranked between second and fifth among OECD countries, demonstrating strong digital capabilities.
Score Decline and Increase in Low Performers: A Warning Hidden Behind High Rankings
While the overall results appear impressive, a comparison with the previous assessment, PISA 2022, reveals a clear decline in academic performance. The average scores for South Korea fell by 2 points in science (from 528 to 526) and 5 points in math (from 527 to 522), with a significant drop of 14 points in reading (from 515 to 501).
Most concerning is the distribution of achievement levels. The number of top-performing students has decreased while the number of low-performing students has increased, exacerbating the phenomenon of academic polarization.
In reading, the percentage of students at the highest achievement level (Level 5 and above) fell from 13.3% to 10.3%, while those at the lowest level (Level 1 and below) surged from 14.7% to 17.8%. In science, the top performers decreased from 15.7% to 14.6%, while low performers increased from 13.7% to 14.2%. In math, both top (from 22.9% to 23.2%) and low performers (from 16.2% to 18.6%) increased, but the rise in low performers was more pronounced, highlighting a widening achievement gap.
Education Ministry: Inclusivity and Fairness Exceed OECD Averages; Reading Education to Expand
The Ministry of Education positively assessed the results, stating that the impact of students' economic, social, and cultural backgrounds on science achievement (7.7%) is lower than the OECD average (11.6%), indicating higher educational fairness. The inclusivity indicator, which reflects the percentage of students achieving high performance regardless of their background, stood at 80.1%, significantly above the OECD average of 65%.
However, regarding the increase in low-performing students and the sharp decline in reading scores, the ministry acknowledged the need to explore support measures to ensure students develop adequate reading and math skills. They pledged to enhance reading education linked to classroom instruction and continue supporting inquiry- and problem-solving-based learning.
Teachers' Union: Dedicated Efforts of Schools and Educators Must Be Supported with Tailored Assistance
In the education sector, calls for more fundamental measures have emerged. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations noted that the high levels of inclusivity and fairness are a result of the dedicated efforts of schools and educators, which have helped buffer some of the disparities stemming from challenging circumstances.
However, the federation cautioned against complacency with merely maintaining high rankings, urging that the signs of academic decline, such as the increasing percentage of middle school students falling short in math basics, should not be taken lightly. They expressed particular concern over the significant achievement gaps among students within the same school, especially in science.
The federation called for a detailed national diagnostic and support system to identify and assist students lacking basic skills early on, advocating for smaller class sizes to allow teachers to closely monitor each student and an expansion of dedicated teachers for basic skills.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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