European Commission report highlights educational achievement gaps in Cyprus

The European Commission's 2025 Education and Training Monitor has revealed significant deficiencies in the academic performance of students in Cyprus compared to their European peers. The report identifies systemic issues across basic, digital, and civic skills, warning that these educational shortcomings could negatively impact the country's long-term economic competitiveness and the career prospects of its youth.

Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicates that 53.2 per cent of Cypriot students underperform in mathematics, far exceeding the EU average of 29.5 per cent. Socioeconomic status plays a critical role, as 69.8 per cent of students from the lowest socioeconomic quartile lack basic proficiency in mathematics. Furthermore, only 1.4 per cent of local students achieve advanced reading skills, significantly lower than the EU average of 6.5 per cent. The report emphasizes that six out of ten students struggle with basic literacy, underscoring a general quality problem within the national education system.