Rwanda’s first participation within the Programme for Worldwide Pupil Evaluation (PISA) has added one other African schooling system to a world train that measures what 15-year-olds know and the way effectively they’ll apply that data to real-life conditions.
Eight African nations have now participated in PISA or the OECD’s PISA for Growth initiative: Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritius, Morocco, Senegal, Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. Their experiences are completely different. Some have participated repeatedly, whereas others have used PISA to determine a primary baseline.
In PISA 2025, 5 African nations took half, together with Mauritius, Morocco, Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia have been first-time contributors in the principle PISA evaluation, though Zambia had beforehand taken half in PISA for Growth.
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Mauritius stays Africa's strongest performer
Mauritius scored 438 factors in science, 405 in studying and 407 in arithmetic in 2025.
Morocco adopted with 358 in science, 321 in studying and 355 in arithmetic. Zambia scored 337, 325 and 314, whereas Kenya recorded 335, 320 and 326. Rwanda scored 317 in science, 301 in studying and 312 in arithmetic.
The hole is large. Mauritius was 121 factors forward of Rwanda in science and 104 factors forward in studying.
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Zambia exhibits why progress may be hidden
Zambia provided the clearest instance of why the most recent rating shouldn’t be seen alone.
It participated in PISA for Growth in 2017 earlier than becoming a member of the principle PISA evaluation in 2025. Its arithmetic rating rose from 258 factors in 2017 to 314 in 2025, a 56-point improve. Studying rose from 275 to 325, whereas science elevated from 309 to 337.
The proportion of scholars beneath Degree 2 additionally fell by 13 share factors in arithmetic, 13 factors in studying and 19 factors in science.
But the hole between the highest- and lowest-performing college students widened in all three topics.
The advance is essential as a result of Zambia’s 2025 science rating of 337 stays low internationally. Trying solely on the newest rating would subsequently miss the progress made since 2017.
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Senegal confronted a special problem
Solely round 30 p.c of 15-year-olds in Senegal and Zambia have been enrolled in at the least Grade 7 and subsequently eligible for the school-based PISA-D evaluation. The typical throughout OECD nations was 89 per cent.
PISA-D was designed partly to make worldwide evaluation extra accessible to growing nations and to assist them construct capability to gather and use schooling knowledge.
Which means for some African methods, bettering studying additionally requires protecting extra kids in class and making certain they progress far sufficient to amass the talents being measured.
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Morocco and Tunisia present that progress is just not automated
Morocco's 2025 arithmetic rating fell from 365 in 2022 to 355, whereas studying dropped from 339 to 321. Science moved from 365 to 358.
The decline comes alongside a serious growth of secondary schooling, bringing extra college students from beforehand marginalised teams into the system. That growth can decrease common scores whilst entry improves.
Tunisia participated 5 instances between 2003 and 2015. Between 2003 and 2009, it recorded important positive factors in arithmetic and science and diminished the proportion of scholars beneath Degree 2 in arithmetic. However weaknesses in literacy, numeracy and science remained.
The worldwide image can also be worrying
Africa's outcomes come as schooling methods around the globe face declining efficiency.
PISA 2025 concerned greater than 760,000 college students in 91 nations and economies. The OECD common was 482 factors in science, 463 in arithmetic and 461 in studying.
The strongest performers have been B-S-J-Z in China and Singapore. China scored 597 in science and 612 in arithmetic, whereas Singapore led studying with 535 factors.
However efficiency has fallen in lots of elements of the world. Between 2015 and 2025, OECD-average arithmetic efficiency fell by 22 factors, whereas studying fell by 28 factors. Amongst non-OECD contributors, arithmetic fell by eight factors and studying by 16 factors.
Between 2022 and 2025, science remained broadly steady throughout 35 OECD nations, whereas arithmetic fell by 9 factors and studying by about 14 factors.
