Latvia students face rising bullying and declining literacy, PISA study shows

Recent data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicates that 25% of Latvian students experience some form of bullying at least several times a month, which is higher than the OECD average of 20%. Researchers suggest the increase in bullying since 2022 may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced in-person social contact.

Regarding cyberbullying, 5% of Latvian students reported having unpleasant information published about them online without consent, compared to a 3% average in OECD countries. Students experiencing this form of cyberbullying scored, on average, 63 points lower in science than their peers.

The report also highlights a significant decline in academic performance in Latvia, particularly in reading literacy. Since 2015, the average reading score for Latvian students has dropped by 51 points, a decline nearly twice as large as the OECD average. Currently, 41% of Latvian students have not reached minimum reading proficiency levels, while only 2.6% have reached the highest level.