OECD: Teen Reading, Math and Science Scores Hit Lowest Since 2000

The reading score on the PISA index fell from 501 in 2012 to 466 last year. Science declined from a 2009 high of 506 to 486, while math fell from 502 to 469 over the same period. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development linked the weaker results to more screen time, less reading for pleasure, and digital distraction.

“In reading, more screen time and less reading for pleasure have gone hand in hand with weaker results,” OECD head Mathias Cormann told a press conference. “We’re also seeing more hasty reading, students rushing through a text and giving a quick wrong answer.” The study found reading scores fell more sharply among students from better-off backgrounds.

The OECD also found that students who regularly used AI chatbots for tasks such as drafting essays and summarizing text scored about 20 points lower in science, roughly equivalent to a year of learning.

East Asia was the best-performing region. Chinese cities that took part, along with Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, had the best educational systems, according to the report. Britain and Estonia were the only countries outside the region to place in the top 10 in reading, mathematics and science.

The PISA test is widely regarded as the world’s leading gauge of educational performance and its results are closely scrutinized by governments and educators.