France Education Minister Warns as PISA Scores Drop to Record Lows

The PISA 2025 Data: A Historic Low for French Secondary Education

The results of the 2025 PISA survey, published on Tuesday, September 8, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), indicate that the academic performance of French adolescents has declined across all three core competencies over the past decade. According to the coverage of the data compiled from 33 million 15-year-olds across 91 countries, France achieved an overall score of 456 points, securing the 28th position globally and marking an 18-place drop since 2023.

The study evaluated 6,500 students across 289 schools in France, representing the cohort that entered primary school (CP) in 2015. In mathematics, France dropped to the 34th position with 458 points, losing 16 points compared to the 2022 assessment. In scientific literacy, France ranked 27th with 483 points, falling four places since 2022. Reading comprehension emerged as a particularly critical vulnerability, with scores retreating by 18 points and leaving roughly one-third of French students experiencing major difficulties with written comprehension.

The Bottom Line

Global Standing: France ranks 28th out of 91 countries in the 2025 PISA index, trailing regional peers and sitting slightly below the OECD average.

Decadal Decline: Competencies in math, reading, and science have steadily eroded over the last ten years, corresponding to students entering CP in 2015.

Policy Response: Minister of Education Édouard Geffray has acknowledged the findings as a serious concern, targeting middle school reform and institutional autonomy as primary recovery levers.

Comparative Global Standings and Asian Dominance

Global educational rankings continue to be led by East Asian jurisdictions. Singapore claimed the top spot in the overall 2025 PISA index with 535 points, followed by China at 527 points and Taiwan at 508 points, with Japan and South Korea rounding out the top five. Ireland stands as the highest-ranking European nation at 7th place.

In mathematics, Asian systems similarly occupy the entire top tier, led by China with 612 points, followed by Singapore and Macao. Estonia holds the highest European rank in mathematics at 8th place (508 points). For sciences, Asian dominance persists with China leading at 597 points, while Estonia leads European nations at 6th place (527 points). France’s overall score of 456 places it alongside European neighbors such as Portugal, Denmark, Croatia, and Norway.

Metric / Domain	Top Global Ranking	Leading European Nation	France Rank & Score
Overall PISA Index	Singapore (535 pts)	Ireland (7th)	28th (456 pts)
Mathematics	China (612 pts)	Estonia (8th, 508 pts)	34th (458 pts)
Scientific Literacy	China (597 pts)	Estonia (6th, 527 pts)	27th (483 pts)

Ministerial Response and Institutional Strategy

Reacting to the release of the data, French Minister of Education Édouard Geffray described the outcome in an interview with Le Monde as “préoccupant” (concerning) but “pas une surprise” (not a surprise). Geffray noted that while science scores remain relatively stable, declines in reading mirror broader OECD trends, while math scores actively widen the performance gap against the OECD average.

Photo: ladepeche.fr

To reverse these trajectories, the Ministry of Education has designated middle school (le collège) as a primary operational target. According to Eric Charbonnier, an analyst at the OECD, the nearly 20-point drop in math and science disciplines equates to roughly one full year of lost learning. Ministry officials maintain that synchronized reforms focusing on pedagogical practices and institutional autonomy could position France to re-enter the upper tier of international rankings by 2033.

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