Australia's declining PISA test scores and classroom disruption in 2025
Consensus Summary
Australia's 2025 PISA test results revealed a continued decline in reading and mathematics scores over two decades, despite maintaining above-average OECD rankings. Both sources agree Australia ranked 10th or 11th in science and reading and 16th or 17th in mathematics, with scores showing a long-term downward trend since 2000. Classroom disruption remains a significant issue, with 41% of students reporting noise and disorder, and Australia ranking poorly in disciplinary climate. The 2025 tests introduced a new category, 'learning in the digital world,' where Australia scored above the OECD average of 500 points, with 75% of students reaching proficiency. The Guardian noted a 50-point gap between government and independent school scores, equivalent to two and a half years of study, while the ABC highlighted a 24% OECD average of students skipping school compared to 44% in Australia. Both articles emphasize the need for reforms, with the ABC citing UK improvements from reforms introduced 20 years ago and the Guardian calling for a 'digital detox' to reduce screen time distractions.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Australia's PISA test scores have been measured every three years since 2000
- The 2025 PISA test results were released in 2026
- Australia ranked 10th in science and reading among 91 countries and economies in 2025
- Australia ranked 16th in mathematics in 2025
- Australia ranked 11th in science and reading in 2025 (Guardian) and 10th in science and reading in 2025 (ABC)
- Australia ranked 17th in mathematics in 2025
- Australia's 2022 PISA results showed a slight improvement in science since 2022
- Australia's 2022 results placed it in the top 10 of OECD countries
- Australia's 2025 PISA test included a new category: 'learning in the digital world'
- Australia's mean score in 'learning in the digital world' was 532 points, above the OECD average of 500 points
- Australia's 2025 PISA test results showed a decline in reading and mathematics over two decades
- 41% of Australian students reported noise and disorder in classrooms, compared to the OECD average of 31%
- Australia's disciplinary climate ranked 69th out of 80 countries in 2025
- Australia's 2018 PISA results were the nation’s worst performance to date
- Australia's 2025 PISA results showed a decline in performance compared to 2022
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Australia's reading and maths results hit their lowest point on record in 2025
- Australia's science students today are almost one year of learning behind students who sat the exam in 2006
- In reading, students last year were roughly two years behind where they were in 2000
- In mathematics, students were a little over two years behind the 2003 results
- 44% of Australian students reported skipping a day of school in the two weeks before testing, compared to the OECD average of 24%
- Australia rose three places in reading, four places in maths, and seven places in science in this year's PISA testing (referring to the UK)
- 75% of Australian students reached the national proficient standard in 'learning in the digital world'
- Australia's Year 10 students participated in the 'learning in the digital world' test last year
- The UK introduced similar reforms 20 years ago and improved in PISA testing
- Australia’s year 9 students were continuing a long-term national decline in performance, particularly in mathematics and reading
- Students in government schools recorded a mean score about 50 points lower than independent schools across science, reading, and maths
- Australia ranked lower than seven countries in 'learning in the digital world' by 32 points, or around one and a half years, above the OECD average
- Australia scored higher than the US in science, mathematics, and reading but below the UK and New Zealand
- Australia is among 58% of countries that have banned smartphones in schools, indicating other tools, such as laptops and tablets, are causing distractions
- The federal government has reached a deal with states and territories to fully fund public schools for the first time, but not until 2034
- Australia’s disciplinary climate had improved compared with a record low in 2015 but remained poor, ranking behind 68 countries and better than just 11
- 39% of Australian students said their peers got distracted by using digital resources, compared with the OECD average of 28%
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states Australia ranked 10th in science and reading in 2025, while the Guardian states Australia ranked 11th in science and reading in 2025
- The ABC states Australia ranked 16th in mathematics in 2025, while the Guardian states Australia ranked 17th in mathematics in 2025
- The ABC states Australia's 2022 results showed a slight improvement in science, while the Guardian states Australia's 2022 results placed it in the top 10 of OECD countries
- The ABC states Australia's 2025 PISA test results showed a decline in reading and mathematics over two decades, while the Guardian states the decline is uneven by gender and socioeconomic background
Source Articles
Australia records worst-ever maths and reading scores in global test
Australian students have recorded their lowest-ever scores in maths and reading in international testing, but improved on their science results.
Australia’s classroom disruption among worst in world, prompting calls for ‘digital detox’
Public school students are the equivalent of two and a half years behind their independent peers, as global report shows decline in reading and maths Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Public school students are more than two years behind their independent counterparts and Australia’s classroom disruption remains among the worst in the world, a global report has found. The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results, released on Tuesday by the Aus
More World stories
Catastrophic Nepal-Tibet floods leave hundreds dead, thousands missing, including Australians
Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport on Sunday, September 6, 2026
France's 2026 wine harvest forecast at 30-year low due to drought and heat
US envoys Kushner and Witkoff visit Kyiv and Moscow for Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Germany accuses Russia of drone attack at Leipzig Airport, escalating hybrid warfare tensions
Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, dies aged 92; life and legacy overview
Latest cross-verified stories
Australia proposes social media algorithm opt-out laws with fines and regulatory oversight
Police manhunt for Peter O'Ryan after axe attack on family in Gippsland
Queensland farmer Darryl Young convicted of triple murder and attempted murder over cattle dispute
One Nation's early superannuation access policy and political reactions
Trial of three men accused of killing Australian surfers and American friend in Mexico
Bathla Group's collapse and its impact on homebuyers, workers, and construction projects
Browse all stories from September 2026 in the archive.