The latest results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) confirm an ongoing downward trend in student performance since 2012, not just in Luxembourg but globally. Top performers include countries such as China, Singapore, Japan, as well as Estonia, Switzerland, and England.
At the bottom of the rankings are Rwanda, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Kenya. Luxembourg remains slightly below the OECD average, roughly in line with its typical position in recent years.
Several factors are thought to contribute to the decline in reading skills, but increasing and prolonged use of social media stands out as a significant cause. According to Luc Weis, director of the SCRIPT (Service de Coordination de la Recherche et de l’Innovation Pédagogiques et Technologiques) at the Ministry of Education, young people "spend more time on their devices, read faster and more superficially. The PISA data shows, for example, that the rate of careless mistakes in reading has doubled."
At present, Luxembourg’s secondary schools can choose between three models for smartphone restrictions: banning phones during lessons, during breaks, or throughout the entire school day. Minister Claude Meisch has announced talks with school representatives to introduce a general ban on smartphones in the lower classes (7ème, 6ème, and 5ème). He also called on parents to limit their children’s smartphone use outside school.
Luc Weis also highlighted that children whose parents read to them at home achieve much better results. He believes that schools need a clear strategy to encourage reading of longer texts “with enthusiasm and rigour”. The ministry is therefore developing an action plan to promote reading across society.
The 2025 PISA study also shows that students using artificial intelligence as a “tutor”, that is, interacting conversationally with AI, tend to benefit academically. In contrast, those who rely on AI to carry out metacognitive tasks may lose out on key competencies.
Despite the overall negative trend, there are some positive findings for Luxembourg. The country scores above the OECD average when it comes to learning in the digital world.
Another encouraging development is that the gap in performance between students whose parents were born in Luxembourg and those from migrant backgrounds has narrowed compared to the previous edition in 2018.
According to Weis, this positive development is attributable to policies introduced by Minister Claude Meisch, including the creation of European classes and the introduction of new programmes, including French-language programmes. Weis claims that these measures are now bearing fruit. He also acknowledged that overall results have declined, but stressed that it reflects an international trend.
Minister Meisch, meanwhile, pointed out that students in Luxembourg could choose the language in which to take the PISA test, and a significantly higher proportion opted for French in this edition.
Countries where students perform well in PISA tend to foster a genuine enthusiasm for learning, giving students more autonomy in their learning process without necessarily increasing the number of tests.
The PISA study does not only assess students, but also examines the school environment, teachers, and parents. In Luxembourg, more students reported that they felt unsupported by their teachers compared to the OECD average. However, Weis does not believe this is related to Luxembourg’s lack of a formal teacher evaluation system.
Repeatedly, PISA studies have shown that socio-economic factors strongly influence student achievement. Results in the academic (Classique) track are better than in the general (Général, formerly Technique) stream, and are also good in international and European schools, with private international schools performing slightly better still.
The 2025 PISA results will be discussed by the Chamber of Deputies’ education committee on 15 September, with the next international study scheduled for 2029, following the OECD’s decision to move to a four-year cycle. Unlike last time, Luxembourg intends to participate in every edition.
