Cyprus parliamentary committee alarmed by poor PISA test results

On October 14, 2026, the Parliamentary Committee on Education in Cyprus met to discuss the alarming results of the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), released on September 8. Lawmakers expressed profound disappointment, describing the performance as a failure of the national education system, with committee chair Chrysanthos Savvidis highlighting that 62% of students fail to reach basic proficiency in reading comprehension.

The data indicates that 53% of students lack fundamental skills in mathematics, and Cyprus ranks at the bottom in science performance. During the session, George Koutsidis, Deputy Director of Secondary Education, argued that PISA does not capture the full educational picture. He proposed mitigating the crisis by introducing technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics into the curriculum, alongside strategies such as reducing course loads, improving critical thinking through source comparison, and mandatory daily mathematics practice.

While officials advocate for systemic updates and enhanced teacher training, the parliamentary committee remains critical, demanding immediate and radical changes to address the decline. The discussion highlighted a significant gap between domestic educational outcomes and European standards, emphasizing the potential long-term risks for the student population.