Australia’s classroom disruption among worst in world, prompting calls for ‘digital detox’

A new global assessment reveals Australian public school students are falling further behind their independent school peers, with a widening gap in reading and maths performance. The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results highlight persistent classroom disruptions, placing Australia among the worst-affected nations worldwide. The report, released by the Australian Council for Educational Research, measures literacy and numeracy in 15-year-olds across 91 countries, continuing a trend tracked since 2000. Experts warn the findings underscore ongoing challenges in educational equity and recovery from prolonged learning setbacks.

Public school students are the equivalent of two and a half years behind their independent peers, as global report shows decline in reading and mathsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPublic school students are more than two years behind their independent counterparts and Australia’s classroom disruption remains among the worst in the world, a global report has found.The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results, released on Tuesday by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), tested the literacy of 15-year-olds in 91 countries, including Australia. The tests have run every three years since 2000. Continue reading...