Israel posts lowest PISA results in its participation history — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, the results of the PISA 2025 international assessment became the lowest in the country’s entire participation in the study in reading, mathematics and science. Former Associated Press editor Dan Perry wrote about this in a column for the Jerusalem Post, calling the decline in results a systemic problem in education.
According to the data cited in the publication, the average reading score over three years fell from 474 points in 2022 to 436 in 2025. In mathematics, the score decreased by 25 points to 433, and in science by 23 points to 442. In all three areas, Israel’s results were below the average level of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Lagging behind in mathematics
Forty-six percent of Israeli students did not reach the basic level of mathematical knowledge, while the OECD average was 35%. The share of students with the highest results was also below the average among developed countries.
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The author notes that the gap between students in the Arab and Hebrew-speaking education sectors has narrowed, but this happened because results in the Hebrew-speaking system deteriorated faster. At the same time, Israel, he said, remains among the countries with a large gap between the highest-achieving and weakest students.
Resources and teaching
The article also cites assessments of schoolchildren’s attitudes toward learning: 68% of students in Israel agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that they are interested in many different things, compared with an average of 73% in OECD countries. At the same time, 37% of students considered school a waste of time, while the OECD average was 24%.
Perry links the deterioration in results to a lack of resources, teachers’ workload and burnout, as well as the politicization of the education system. According to OECD data cited by the author, Israel spends 22% less per student than the organization’s average. He also emphasizes the need to teach mathematics, English and science in schools receiving state funding.
