France faces educational challenges amid declining PISA scores

Recent data highlights challenges within the French education system, following the PISA rankings where France placed 27th among OECD members. The rankings, which measure problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication in 15-year-olds, reflect a general decline in student performance across many participating regions.

In France, adult literacy and numeracy remain significant concerns. According to 2024 INSEE data, 10% of adults aged 18 to 64 struggle with fundamental writing skills, affecting approximately 1.5 million people. Additionally, 12% face difficulties with mathematics, with a high correlation between reading and calculation struggles. These disparities are closely linked to parental education levels, social background, and geographic location, particularly in overseas departments and priority urban areas.

At the primary school level, national evaluations show mixed results. While some stability is observed in early grades like CP and CE1—with some progress in mathematics—there are downward trends in reading aloud and writing in CE1. Experts note that social inequalities are clearly visible in oral comprehension scores, which are heavily influenced by family vocabulary levels.