Greece's PISA 2025 results are out, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Half of all 15-year-old Greek students scored be...

Greece's PISA 2025 results are out, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Half of all 15-year-old Greek students scored below the basic Level 2 threshold in mathematics, meaning one in two teenagers cannot meet the OECD's minimum standard for mathematical competency. In reading, only 56% reached that baseline, and in science, 59%. For comparison, OECD averages sit at 65% in math, 69% in reading, and 74% in science. Greece trails on every single measure. The decline is not a recent blip. Since 2009, Greece has lost 42 points in mathematics and 60 points in reading. In science, the country has dropped 39 points since 2006. The slide predates the pandemic by years, and the 2025 data shows no meaningful recovery even after 2022. Reading scores fell again between 2022 and 2025, which analysts describe as the most alarming finding in the report. After a steep drop that was partly blamed on pandemic disruption, the expected rebound never came. The classroom environment data adds context. Some 46% of Greek students say noise and disorder disrupt most of their science lessons, compared to the OECD norm. Only 49% say their teacher shows interest in each student's learning, down sharply from 63% in 2015 and far below the OECD average of 69%. Absenteeism is also elevated, with 31% of students reporting they missed at least one full school day in the two weeks before the test, against 22% across OECD countries. Greece also has very few top-performing students, meaning the problem cuts in both directions: too many falling below the floor, and almost none reaching the ceiling. The To Vima analysis points to Estonia as a relevant benchmark, a European country that consistently ranks among the world's top education systems, proving that strong results are achievable within a European context. For a country already dealing with demographic decline and a shrinking workforce, the OECD's message carries long-term economic weight. A smaller future workforce needs better skills per person, not fewer. #Greece #Education #PISA2025