Cyprus recorded its lowest-ever scores in science and reading comprehension and its second-lowest in mathematics, according to the 2025 Pisa international assessment, placing the country among the bottom performers in the European Union.
The study found that 43.5% of Cypriot students lacked even basic skills across the three subjects tested, compared with an EU average of 21%. Cyprus also recorded the highest rate of rushed answers among participating countries, with 25% of students spending less than 10 seconds on questions.
The assessment, which tested 7,802 15-year-old students across 103 public and private schools, did contain one more encouraging finding: a notable improvement in resilience among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with their performance shown to have increased.
The education minister, Athina Michaelidou, described the results as consistently poor. She said the ministry was already pursuing reforms aimed at changing schools at multiple levels, including a shift away from rote learning towards deeper understanding, the development of life skills, an update of the curriculum, and a move towards a more inclusive school system.
