The latest PISA results show a significant decline in Mathematics, Science, and Reading scores among Portuguese students, effectively reversing gains made since 2015 and returning to 2006 performance levels. Former Education Ministers Nuno Crato and João Costa have offered differing perspectives on the causes, with Crato pointing to educational policy and Costa citing global trends. Data also highlights a persistent disparity in educational outcomes between regions, with students in the North generally outperforming those in Lisbon, Setúbal, and the Algarve.
Portugal's student performance drops to 2006 levels
Wednesday, 9 September 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The Programme for International Student Assessment (Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Alunos or PISA) is a worldwide study by the OECD that measures 15-year-old students' performance in mathematics, science, and reading. It provides a standardized benchmark for education systems, helping policymakers identify strengths and weaknesses in national curricula compared to other countries.
6 sources
- Drop in PISA 2025 results “affected both public and private school students”publico.pt ·
- PISA 2025. Nuno Crato and João Costa have different views on resultsrtp.pt ·
- The silent crisis in Educationdn.pt ·
- We have returned to 2006observador.pt ·
- Recovering the school system would be a mobilising political project for this countrycmjornal.pt ·
- PISA results show Portugal has regressed nearly 20 years in some learning areas.facebook.com ·
