ELINET PISA Reflections – 1 October 2026
Authors: Winnie-Karen Giera, Sari Sulkunen, Angela Colvert, Aoife Ahern, Jennifer Rowsell

What can we learn from the PISA 2025 results beyond the headlines? And how can we move from national reactions to a broader European conversation about reading literacy?

These questions guided the ELINET PISA Reflections on 1 October 2026. Eighteen participants from seven European countries – from Finland in the north to Cyprus in the south – as well as from Canada came together for an open exchange on how PISA 2025 is being discussed in their respective countries and professional contexts.

Following a welcome by ELINET Chairperson Winnie-Karen Giera, Sari Sulkunen introduced the session before participants moved into three breakout groups. They were invited to reflect orally and in writing on the PISA results, focusing on the findings that had received the most attention in their countries, unexpected developments, public and political debates, and other issues they considered relevant.

Similar challenges – different contexts

One striking aspect of the discussions was the extent to which similar questions are emerging across countries.

Participants from Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Cyprus, among others, reported significant declines in reading performance. In Germany, discussions centred on historically low results in basic skills and the relationship between educational outcomes and socioeconomic background, while digitalisation, AI and the need for targeted support in reading and language were also raised, and the need for targeted support in reading and language. In Cyprus, the decline was also observed in mathematics, while improved results among students with a migrant background were noted as a positive development. In the Netherlands, the proportion of students performing below Level 2 in reading was highlighted, alongside discussions about new attainment goals for functional reading. Finland, too, reported a significant decline in reading and mathematics and growing concerns about students’ perseverance when facing difficulties.

Across the three groups, three particularly strong reflections emerged:

“Literacy challenges, not a literacy crisis.”

This formulation captures an important point from the discussion: PISA provides valuable evidence, but it reflects only part of the broader landscape of contemporary literacy. Participants pointed to changing reading practices, digital and multimodal environments, and the need to consider the wider media ecology.

A second reflection concerned the temptation to search for one simple explanation:

“The explanations are often simple – but the challenges are complex.”

Digital technologies, social media, migration, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, absenteeism, inequalities and educational resources were all discussed. Yet these factors interact differently across countries. The discussions therefore highlighted the need to understand PISA trends within their specific social, educational and national contexts.

A third reflection focused on the learners who are most affected:

“We need to ask who is being left behind – and what support learners need to become confident readers.”

The discussions highlighted the importance of targeted support, teacher education and responding to diverse learner needs, including learners with dyslexia and those experiencing difficulties in reading and language development.

Looking beyond the results

The discussions also turned towards opportunities for learning from research and practice across countries.

Participants highlighted the importance of making better use of educational data, strengthening teacher education and exploring approaches that connect contemporary literacy practices with curriculum and pedagogy. Examples from countries with comparatively strong performance were also discussed as potential sources for further exploration.

Participants also stressed the importance of viewing literacy from a lifelong learning perspective. Literacy development does not end with compulsory schooling, and the challenges identified through PISA need to be considered alongside opportunities for literacy learning and participation across the life course.

Moreover, participants reflected critically on the public response to PISA. Media coverage can quickly focus on shock, decline and failure. Such reactions may create visibility, but they do not necessarily contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying educational and social conditions.

This makes spaces for open professional dialogue particularly valuable.

From reflection to action

The ELINET PISA Reflections were not intended to provide one common explanation of the PISA 2025 results. Instead, they created a space to compare perspectives, identify common challenges and consider possible ways forward. The discussion also connected with the Warsaw Memorandum and the emerging European Literacy Coalition, which provide important frameworks for strengthening cooperation around literacy in Europe. Participants also highlighted the recent publications Effective practices for literacy teaching (Harrison et al. 2025) and Didáctica de los géneros textuales: using genre pedagogy in Spanish and English teacher education (García-Parejo et al. 2026) as a valuable resource for translating research evidence into educational practice.

The next step is not simply to discuss the results again. It is to ask what we can learn from them – and what we can do with that knowledge.

Continuing the conversation

The session concluded with a call to continue the exchange around PISA and reading literacy and to explore how ELINET can contribute to future discussions and actions. A sincere thank you goes to all participants, organisers and supporters who made this open exchange possible.

The strength of ELINET lies in bringing together people from different countries, professional backgrounds and perspectives. PISA results may be discussed nationally, but the questions they raise about literacy, learning and participation are deeply European.

Let us continue to share our knowledge and experience – and turn reflection into action for literacy education and research across Europe.