Israel's Education System Hits Historic Low in Global PISA Rankings
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Israel's education system has recorded its lowest-ever scores in the PISA 2025 international assessment, ranking near the bottom in mathematics, reading, and science. The results show a significant decline from previous years, with a notable increase in low-achieving students and a persistent small cohort of high achievers.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's PISA 2025 scores are the lowest ever recorded.
- Students ranked near the bottom in math (43rd), reading (37th), and science (44th).
- Performance declined significantly compared to previous PISA tests.
- Low-achieving students increased, while high achievers remained a small percentage.
- Social gaps were not identified as the main cause for the poor results.
Israel's education system has experienced its worst-ever performance in the PISA 2025 international assessment, with students ranking near the bottom among participating nations. In mathematics, Israel placed 43rd out of 44 countries, while in reading, it ranked 37th, and in science, it came in last at 44th place. These results represent a significant decline from previous PISA tests, with Israeli students dropping eight places in science, seven in reading, and six in mathematics compared to 2022.
Even when compared to developed nations within the OECD, Israel's performance is concerning. In science, 20 countries, including the UAE, Vietnam, Uruguay, and Chile, outperformed Israel, which ranked below the average for developed countries. In reading and mathematics, Israel's students were at the bottom of the 44 OECD member countries, with only Albania scoring lower in mathematics. The report highlights that these PISA 2025 results are the lowest ever recorded for Israel and are significantly worse than those from 2012, 2015, and 2018.
The proportion of Israeli students with low achievement levels (below proficiency level 2) has increased substantially since 2015: by 14% in mathematics, 14% in reading, and 9% in science. Conversely, the percentage of high-achieving students remains small. Only about 5% of Israeli students achieved top scores in mathematics (level 5 or 6), compared to the OECD average of 8%. Similarly, only 4% excelled in science, versus the OECD average of 7%, and 5% in reading, compared to the OECD average of 6%.
Contrary to potential assumptions, the report indicates that social gaps within Israel are not the primary reason for these poor results. The disparity between the highest and lowest scoring students remained relatively stable in mathematics and science and even narrowed slightly in reading between 2022 and 2025. The article also notes a delay in the official release of the national analysis by Israel's National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAE) and the Ministry of Education, suggesting an attempt by Education Minister Yoav Kisch to postpone the dissemination of these unfavorable findings.
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