International study signals need for education reform

Date published: 8 September 2026

PISA is the world's leading international benchmark of educational performance, assessing the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in mathematics, reading and science.

Pupils in Northern Ireland took part in the PISA 2025 study between September 2025 and October 2025. 

Results show that whilst Northern Ireland continues to perform well in comparison to many other countries, there has been a significant downward trend in pupils’ average reading and mathematics performance since PISA 2015.  There has also been a worrying decline in the proportion of pupils in Northern Ireland performing at Level 2 or above, the internationally recognised baseline level of proficiency required for effective participation in learning and life. This is particularly stark in Mathematics, with 30% of pupils are now performing below baseline Level 2 proficiency, compared with 19% in 2015.

Notably, pupils in Northern Ireland were outperformed across all three areas by both England and the Republic of Ireland.

Education Minister Paul Givan said: 

“I welcome the latest PISA results for Northern Ireland. Whilst pupils in Northern Ireland continue to perform well against other international education systems, it is clear that education systems across the world are facing significant challenges and Northern Ireland is no exception.

“These results should serve as a wake-up call. While Northern Ireland remains a strong-performing education system by international standards, we should not confuse relative success with sufficient progress.

“The measure of a successful education system is not simply how well its highest achievers perform, but how effectively it supports every child to succeed. On that measure, these results show there is much more work to do.

“If literacy and numeracy are the currency of opportunity, too many of our young people are leaving education without the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This is not good enough, and it underlines the need for the TransformED Reform Programme.”

Key findings from PISA 2025 for Northern Ireland include:

• Northern Ireland performed above the OECD average in science, reading and mathematics in 2025.

• There were, however, significant downward trends in pupils' average reading and mathematics scores between 2015 and 2025. 

• Socioeconomic status remains a strong predictor of performance. Pupils in Northern Ireland who were eligible for Free School Meals achieved average scores in science, reading and mathematics significantly below scores for pupils who were not eligible

• In the three PISA domains of science, reading and mathematics Northern Ireland pupils' performance was significantly above the performance of pupils in Wales, not significantly different to the performance of pupils in Scotland but significantly below the performance of pupils in both England and the Republic of Ireland.

Paul Givan continued: 

“Telling ourselves we have a world class education system is no substitute for having a world class education system. These results show that we cannot be complacent. A highly educated population is critical to Northern Ireland's economic prosperity and social wellbeing. International companies often decide where to invest based on how an education system performs, and we are not competing as well as we should on the world stage.

“As technology continues to reshape the labour market, it is both possible and necessary to ensure more young people achieve at higher levels than ever before. We cannot afford for any child or young person to be left behind.

“That is why my Department's TransformED programme is both essential and unapologetically ambitious, delivering reform at pace to drive higher standards, greater equity and improved outcomes for all learners. 

“These results provide a clear call to action and a compelling case for sustained reform and investment. There is a clear need to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds more effectively, close persistent attainment gaps and reverse the decline in reading and mathematics outcomes.”

The full national report for PISA can be found at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/programme-international-student-assessment-pisa. 

The full OECD international PISA report can be found at: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/pisa.html.