Spain's PISA low: screens linked to reading slide
Spain’s 15-year-olds have recorded their worst-ever PISA results in reading, maths and science. The results were discussed in Madrid on 8 September, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) pointing to screen use and changing reading habits as key factors behind the fall. In reading, Spanish pupils are now half a school year behind the OECD average.
The OECD says the sharpest drop appears in tests built around longer texts. It has found that pupils are increasingly reading in a rush, leaving them unable to take in the full meaning of what is on the page.
Screens and rushed reading
OECD analyst Tue Halgreen said the decline fits a wider pattern seen over the past decade as technology has advanced. More time spent on digital devices for leisure is associated with weaker performance, he said, while countries with less screen use tend to achieve better results.
He stressed that Spain should not be viewed in isolation. Similar falls have appeared in countries making different policy choices, suggesting a broad social challenge rather than the effect of one country’s education rules.
Education Minister Milagros Tolón also linked weak reading comprehension to the quick, shallow reading of short digital messages. She said pupils who cannot understand a text properly will struggle to make sense of a maths problem, and called for more work on reading comprehension.
Ministry rejects blame for education law
Spain’s Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports rejected claims that the LOMLOE education reform, often called the Celaá law, caused the results. The law was approved at the end of 2020 and introduced a teaching approach focused on using learning to solve problems.
Secretary of State for Education, Vocational Training and Sports Abelardo de la Rosa said the ministry would take the findings to the next sectoral education conference. He pointed to existing reading and maths policies and said the results should drive improvements.
The ministry has published separate figures for Catalonia, although the OECD has left them out of international comparisons because exclusions reached 23%. The tested group is not considered representative of all pupils in the region, so the figures cannot be compared with other areas or previous PISA editions.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com