UK pupils rank highly in international reading, maths and science tests
New PISA data indicates that English pupils are outperforming their counterparts in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in reading, maths, and science. The report also highlights a global decline in critical reading skills among teenagers, potentially linked to digital distractions.
Why it matters
These findings provide critical insights into the effectiveness of different regional education systems and the impact of digital habits on student performance.
Image source, Ann Gannon / BBC By Branwen Jeffreys Education Editor Published 8 September 2026, 08:31 BST Updated 5 hours ago English pupils have pulled ahead of the rest of the UK in international reading, maths and science tests, new data suggests, with Scotland and Wales falling further behind.
The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) saw reading and maths scores slump in each UK nation except England, while all four saw an uptick in science, with that rise again most notable in England.
The latest Pisa report, which is published every three years, also warned of a worldwide decline in teenagers' reading skills.
Teenagers were losing the skills that "matter most in the age of AI", such as being able to critically evaluate information from different sources, it said.
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