Former Portuguese Education Minister João Costa has attributed the country's declining PISA results to the influence of social media, according to a report by Correio da Manhã. His comments come after the release of the 2025 PISA data, which showed Portuguese students performing at levels not seen since the early 2000s.
Costa, who served as education minister, pushed back against what he called "simplistic solutions" for addressing the score drop, as reported by Diário de Notícias. He acknowledged that responsibility cannot be entirely dismissed but pointed to broader societal factors, with social media use among young people being a primary concern, per Observador.
The remarks follow a sharp debate over the causes of the educational decline. Another former minister, Nuno Crato, has blamed the country's education policies for the poor results, according to Diário de Notícias. The differing views highlight a split between former officials over whether the issue lies in classroom strategy or external cultural forces.
In a related development, Costa indicated that reintroducing national exams for 4th and 6th grade students is a possibility that requires analysis, Público reports. The exams were previously scrapped as part of curriculum reforms during Costa's tenure. The suggestion signals a potential policy shift as officials grapple with how to reverse the trend.
The PISA 2025 results, published this week, represent a significant setback for Portugal, erasing years of gradual progress in student achievement. The international assessment measures reading, mathematics, and science skills among 15-year-olds across dozens of countries.
What to watch next: Whether the current government acts on Costa's exam proposal or adopts Crato's call for a more fundamental policy overhaul.
