The United Kingdom has entered the global top 10 for education in science, maths, and reading, according to the latest PISA 2025 results. While the rankings show a significant rise for the UK, international experts have issued a stark warning regarding a sharp decline in students’ critical thinking and the rise of “hasty reading” habits.
The study, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), assessed 15-year-olds globally. Within the UK, England emerged as the highest-performing nation, securing 8th place in science, 9th in reading, and 10th in maths. These results mark a major climb in the international league tables compared to previous cycles.
In science, England achieved a score of 516 points, significantly higher than the OECD average of 482.
Warnings over ‘hasty reading’ and digital distractions
Despite the high rankings, the OECD highlighted a growing crisis in how teenagers process information. The number of “hasty readers”—students who rush through texts and provide incorrect answers without fully comprehending the material—has almost doubled globally since 2018.
According to the OECD, average reading and maths scores across member nations have fallen to their lowest levels since data collection began in 2000. Reading scores alone have dropped by an average of 28 points since 2015, a decline equivalent to one full year of lost learning. One in five 15-year-olds now fails to reach basic proficiency in core subjects.
The report suggests the UK’s rise in the rankings is partly due to its relative stability while other nations saw much sharper declines in performance. Educators have also pointed to a global “digital distraction” crisis, where the constant presence of screens is affecting concentration and deep literacy skills.
Impact of AI on critical thinking
The PISA findings coincide with concerns raised by domestic teaching bodies. In April 2026, a survey of 9,000 teachers conducted by the National Education Union (NEU) found that two-thirds of respondents believe the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schoolwork is actively damaging students’ critical thinking skills. The NEU warned that over-reliance on automated tools could be compounding the decline in students’ ability to evaluate complex information independently.
The OECD noted that while students are becoming faster at navigating digital interfaces, their ability to think critically about the content they consume is diminishing. This trend was particularly evident in tasks requiring teenagers to distinguish between fact and opinion or to identify bias in short texts.
While the UK government has welcomed the positive rankings as a testament to the resilience of the education system, officials noted that addressing the “literacy gap” and the habits of “hasty readers” remains a priority for the coming academic years. The data shows that while the UK is outperforming many of its peers, the broader trend of falling global standards presents a challenge for all participating nations.
