PISA 2025 results: A wake-up call for more investment in teachers and education

Beyond the decline in pupils’ overall achievement, particularly among lower secondary students aged 11 to 15, the OECD highlights several key findings of the study which are highly relevant from a trade union perspective:

1. There is a direct link between the quality of teacher training and pupils’ outcomes.
2. The working conditions of teachers and the learning conditions of pupils have a direct impact on educational performance.
3. The quality of relationships between teachers and families is directly correlated with the well-being of pupils and staff, with consequences for young people’s outcomes.
4. Class size has a clear impact on educational outcomes.

The report supports a fairly clear message: Education systems cannot respond to declining outcomes by placing still more pressure on individual teachers or students. The PISA study itself points toward strong teaching, adequate and targeted resources, supportive schools, better learning environments and thoughtful use of technology. At the same time, a growing group of young people is approaching working life without secure foundational skills.

With regard to the situation of teachers, the survey also brings to light two worrying developments: First, a decline in teachers’ purchasing power since 2011, and second, growing professional unease, reflecting the devaluation of the profession and increasing demands from families placed on the education system.

The report reflects alarming further findings:
• Basic skills are declining: 20% of 15-year-olds are low performers across all three core subjects, threatening readiness for further education, work and everyday life.
• Teachers are increasingly essential: Strong pedagogy, adequate support and resources targeted to disadvantaged schools are key to better outcomes.
• Al must better support, not replace, learning: Unequal access to Al literacy risks creating a new "Al divide."
• Critical thinking is increasingly urgent: Declining reading and information-evaluation skills -including a near doubling of 'hasty readers' since 2018 -have implications for work and democratic participation.

CESI's Expert Commission ‘Education’  calls for the PISA 2025 results to serve as a wake-up call and urges swift action to:
• Strengthen initial and continuing teacher training.
• Raise salaries for teachers and education staff to reflect their qualifications and responsibilities.
• Improve working conditions, including by reducing class sizes to better support every pupil.
• Protect and recognize the teaching profession, ensuring educators are respected and supported.

Luc Viehé, President of CESI’s Expert Commissions, reaffirms: "Education is an essential common good. Investing in schools means investing in social justice, empowerment and the democratic future of our societies."

CESI Youth Representative Antonello Pietrangeli states: "Teachers’ working conditions shape young people’s learning and future working conditions. We need greater investment in education, targeted support for disadvantaged learners, human-centred digitalisation, and stronger pathways into decent work and lifelong learning."

These findings and recommendations are fully consistent with CESI’s longstanding positions and previous policy statements.

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