OECD PISA Survey: Future Skills, AI, and Student Competencies

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National Scores and International Comparisons

In science—the primary domain of the PISA 2025 cycle—Italian students achieved an average score of 483 points, positioning them just above the OECD average of 482. In mathematics, Italian 15-year-olds reached 468 points, surpassing the OECD average of 463 and outperforming students in France, Germany, the United States, and Sweden.

Minister Giuseppe Valditara highlighted the reading achievement in official statements, noting that the national average exceeds that of Finland, a country long regarded as an international benchmark for educational outcomes. Analysts note that these results reflect a general international trend of declining performance following the 2022 assessments, making Italy’s relative stability stand out amidst widespread global learning contractions.

Structural Challenges and Educational Equity

Beneath headline figures, educational analysts point to persistent structural vulnerabilities within the Italian school system. Orazio Giancola and other researchers caution that political messaging framing the assessment as a competitive international sport risks obscuring deeper pedagogical crises affecting global education.

A primary concern involves early school tracking, where students are funneled into distinct academic, technical, or vocational paths at age 15. Sociological evaluations indicate that this early institutional separation often hardens existing socioeconomic inequalities. Disaggregated data shows a clear performance gap tied directly to the socioeconomic and cultural status (ESCS) of students’ families of origin, rather than purely individual academic talent.

Methodological Context and Future Directions

The cohort evaluated in the PISA 2025 study completed their education under long-standing structural frameworks, meaning the results measure the cumulative effectiveness of past schooling models rather than immediate policy shifts. Official empirical data remains accessible through the OECD portal and the national survey agency INVALSI for researchers examining technical evaluation scales.

Educational experts emphasize that maintaining international rankings should take a back seat to addressing domestic educational poverty. Reform discussions increasingly focus on redesigning student orientation mechanisms to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction regardless of family background.

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