Scotland's schoolchildren have reached a record low in maths and reading skills according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results. The OECD-administered assessment shows Scottish students falling behind their peers in England and trailing several other European nations, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Turkey.
These latest figures represent a "national humiliation" for Scotland, according to one analysis, with students in some subjects more than a year behind their English counterparts. In contrast, England's students rank significantly higher in maths, science, and reading, placing it fifth out of 40 economically developed nations in science, sixth equal in reading, and sixth in maths. Scotland, by comparison, ranks 16th in science, 11th in reading, and 21st in maths.
This decline in academic performance is compounded by other educational challenges, including a shortage of teachers and reported increases in classroom violence. Critics argue these Pisa statistics are an indictment of the country's educational system, contrasting it with a historical reputation for strong academic achievement.
The Scottish government has defended the performance of its schools, with Education Secretary Màiri McAllan addressing the situation. However, the results have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents who point to past promises made by government officials regarding educational improvement.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, in 2015, stated her intention to be judged on her government's handling of education, saying, "If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. It really matters…" Critics contend that little progress has been made since that pledge.
The Scottish government's accountability for education is complicated by the fact that while it is politically responsible for services, it does not directly deliver them, leading to an argument that services are "producer-driven" rather than "consumer-driven."
Education policy in Scotland has seen several reforms over the decades. The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results, published in 2026, highlight the ongoing struggles. Previous reforms, such as the Munn and Dunning reforms of the 1980s and the introduction of the "Curriculum for Excellence," aimed at promoting 21st-century skills, have been criticized for a flawed understanding of the relationship between knowledge and skills. This curriculum, designed to foster critical thinking and creativity, has been deemed a failure by some commentators, arguing that these skills cannot be taught in isolation but depend on a strong foundation of domain-specific knowledge.
The irony noted by critics is that the Curriculum for Excellence reforms received broad cross-party support, suggesting a collective misjudgment among political parties when they agree on educational policy.