Students with a migrant background performed better on reading comprehension than Cypriot students, according to the results of the international PISA study on student performance in Cyprus. At the same time, Cyprus ranks first in terms of the percentage of children who give hasty answers “and have spent no more than 10 seconds on the exercises,” while the fact that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds demonstrate educational resilience is viewed as a positive.
At today’s press conference at the Ministry of Education, where the results of the PISA program were presented, specific changes being implemented in the education system were also announced with the aim of improving the quality of learning, with Education Minister Athina Michaelidou noting that measures are already being implemented that can lead to better learning outcomes.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Higher Academic Performance Among Children with a Migrant Background
As the results show, the performance of children with a migrant background is higher than that of Cypriot children in all three areas examined. Specifically, in Reading Comprehension, first-generation children with an immigrant background and a high socioeconomic status scored 486 points. Second-generation children scored 424 points, and Cypriot students scored 415. Among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, scores stand at 369 points for first-generation children and 367 points for both second-generation children and Cypriot students.
In mathematics, first-generation children with a migrant background and a high socioeconomic status scored 512 points, while second-generation children scored 460 points and Cypriot students scored 450 points. Among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, first-generation students scored 408 points, Cypriot students 387, and second-generation students 384 points.
In the natural sciences, first-generation immigrant students from high socioeconomic backgrounds scored 520 points, while second-generation students scored 460 points and Cypriot students scored 452 points. Among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, performance stands at 401 points for first-generation students, 389 for Cypriot students, and 382 for second-generation students.
Responding to a related question, the director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, Yasmina Karagiorgi, stated that “Over time, there has been this prevailing impression, if you will, that our results are ‘exceptional’ and that immigrants—in quotes—are bringing them down.” It was also clarified that the reference to students with a migrant background includes students in private schools and does not necessarily refer to children from families facing financial hardship, but we are also referring to children who have come to Cyprus but were born elsewhere. However, the highest academic performance is also recorded among students with a migrant background from a low socioeconomic background.
Not even 10 seconds per exercise
The study’s findings also show that our country ranks first in terms of the percentage of children who give hasty answers “and have not spent more than 10 seconds on the exercises,” with the percentage reaching 24.9%. This suggests that “a large portion of students have not taken the test seriously enough.” He also noted that the percentage of children who leave questions unanswered is particularly high.
For her part, Modestina Modestou, an official at the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, stated that “in our country, 43.5% of students are ranked below Level 2 and do not possess the basic skills in any of the three core subject areas of the assessment” and is far from the target set by the European Commission, which aims to have only 15% of students below Level 2 by 2030. The corresponding EU-wide percentage stands at 21.3%.
It also noted that only 0.7% are ranked above Level 5 and possess advanced skills in all three core subjects of the study, while a large percentage of students did not actively participate in the assessment.
However, Cyprus’s performance has stabilized since 2012.
The positives
As a positive finding, the Minister highlighted educational resilience, as the survey results indicate an increase in the percentage of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who achieve higher scores. It therefore appears, as mentioned, that the degree to which socioeconomic background affects performance in Cyprus is lower thanelsewhere, with the Ministry estimating that socioeconomic background has a smaller impact on performance than in the European Union.
“This is particularly positive, because, as you can see, it means that school acts as a compensatory factor. You come to school facing specific challenges from home related to your socioeconomic background, but that doesn’t prevent you from being a good student,” noted the Minister of Education.
The Need to Develop Critical Thinking
The results confirm the need for substantial reforms in the system. Making use of research and data, continuous evaluation, and the decisive promotion of necessary reforms are essential prerequisites for a modern and effective education system. The central focus remains on the quality of learning and further strengthening children’s ability to apply knowledge, think critically, solve problems, and respond to real-life situations, as Ms. Michailidou pointed out.
Commenting on the results, Ms. Michailidou emphasized that changes aimed at improving the quality of learning on multiple levels are already being implemented, noting that “PISA does not assess the curricula themselves, but rather the application of knowledge, critical thinking, and creativity.” He added that “we, too, are working through our initiatives to reduce rote memorization, to give children less material that is more closely aligned with the skills we want them to have, with greater understanding and application,” emphasizing the efforts being made at the level of the curriculum.
Referring to problem-solving in real-life situations, she noted that the Ministry is moving forward with strengthening life skills and updating the content of the curriculum. “Let me give a few examples: financial literacy, work week, full-day STEM, and many others, which provide children with exactly these kinds of skills,” she said.
Regarding the cultivation of critical thinking, the Minister noted that “we are systematically revising our curricula, providing opportunities through new courses, new programs,” citing, for example, Civics Education and digital skills “that are being vigorously integrated into the school curriculum.”
Ms. Michailidou also emphasized the impact of educational and social inequalities. As she noted, PISA examines “specific and detailed individual variables—namely, the impact of educational and social inequalities—something our own educational system seems to handle well.” He added that “even without high performance, the indications are clear” and that, through greater support and the gradual transition toward inclusive schooling, “it seems—though we’ll have to wait for the next results—that something is being done right here, and perhaps we should keep it that way.”
The Role of Teachers
Referring to the role of teachers, Ms. Michailidou said that the changes concern not only educational content, curricula, methodologies, and digital skills, as well as support for teachers, “who are the heart and soul of any change.” “No matter what we do—no matter how perfect our curricula are, no matter how excellent our tools are, no matter how perfect our classrooms are, no matter how well-equipped we are— everything—if the teacher lacks passion, lacks enthusiasm, and fails to make an impact, then we’ve lost the game,” he said.
He described teachers as the primary and most important agents of change and influence on children’s outcomes, noting that the direction indicated by international research is “assessment and empowerment, and providing incentives to these people.” He added that the Ministry has already been working toward this goal and that the changes must now be implemented in practice; he also addressed the hiring process, with the aim, as he put it, “to select the best teachers.”
Finally, the Minister addressed the issue of students rushing through their responses while participating in the survey. “Children abroad are accustomed to taking online and electronic surveys. Our children, not so much. This is not an excuse, of course, but it is important for us to examine it,” she said, adding that “you can’t respond to a two-page text in a second.”
Regarding the next phase of PISA in 2028, he noted that, in collaboration with the Directorates of General and Technical Secondary Education, measures are being taken to ensure that students are prepared and place greater emphasis on the research process so that we can expect better results.
The Results
According to the 2025 results, the average score for students in Cyprus is 411 in the Physical Sciences, 412 in Mathematics, and 379 in Reading Comprehension—scores that are statistically lower than the corresponding averages for European Union countries (Science 481, Mathematics 463, Reading Comprehension 459) and the OECD (Science 482, Mathematics 463, Reading Comprehension 461). Compared to Greece’s previous participation in the Program (2022), performance in Science and Reading remains stable, while Mathematics shows a slight decline of 6 points. A downward trend in performance is observed in European Union countries (Mathematics and Reading Comprehension: 9 points) and in OECD countries (Mathematics: 9 points; Reading Comprehension: 15 points).
The PISA program is organized every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and aims to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of countries’ education systems. It is one of the most important studies in the field of education. It focuses on assessing the literacy of 15-year-old students in three subject areas: Mathematics, Science, and Reading Comprehension. In the PISA 2025 study, in which a total of 91 countries and economies participated (with approximately 762,000 students), the focus was on the Natural Sciences.
Cyprus participated in the program for the fifth time. Implementation was undertaken—on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth (MoESY)—the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation (CER) of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute. Data collection took place in the spring of 2025, with the participation of 7,802 15-year-old students from 103 schools, 75 public and 28 private.
Specifically, the following were administered: (a) an online assessment test, which examined the extent to which students can apply knowledge and skills in everyday situations, (b) a student questionnaire, which collected information about the children, their family environment, their schools, as well as their attitudes and perceptions toward the natural sciences, and (c) a school questionnaire, through which data were collected regarding the school’s characteristics and the policies implemented in relation to various educational issues.
Source: KYPE
