The results of the international student assessment test known as PISA revealed a historic decline in the performance of Danish school students, after they recorded their worst results since the start of the study 25 years ago, prompting the government to hold a crisis meeting to discuss the reasons for the decline and ways to raise the academic level.
What is the test and what is its international value?
PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment, an international program organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure students' ability to apply their knowledge and skills in real-life situations. The PISA study tested 15-year-old students in three main areas: mathematics, reading, and science.
The most recent test in 2025 included students from 91 countries, while from Denmark, approximately 6,200 students from 283 educational institutions participated.
The results showed a significant decline in the performance of Danish students, who lost the equivalent of about two academic years in mathematics and a full academic year in science between 2015 and 2025, according to TV2 quoting the president of the Danish Engineers Association, Laura Klitgaard.
Phones and screens are under scrutiny.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen linked part of the problem to the increasing use of technology and social media among children.
Frederiksen said the findings were "deeply troubling" and that society is failing children if it doesn't regulate Big Tech's access to them more effectively. She also asserted that phones and screens negatively impact children's ability to concentrate.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the results as a «wake-up call» for Denmark and the Western world, warning that continued decline could weaken Denmark’s competitiveness against Asian countries such as China and Singapore.
The Minister of Education acknowledges responsibility and promises more funds.
Education Minister Magnus Heunicke acknowledged that the government bears some responsibility for the situation, noting that successive governments also bear some responsibility.
Haunicke said that raising the academic level of students will require more money, stressing the government’s readiness to invest in schools, but he emphasized at the same time that the problem cannot be solved with one quick measure, but rather requires a set of measures, legislation and investments.
Teachers want investments to reach the classrooms.
The head of the Danish Teachers' Union, Gordon Ørskov Madsen, said the government had pledged to work on finding solutions and investing in public schools, but stressed that the money must actually reach classrooms and be reflected in daily teaching.
He pointed out that many teachers feel frustrated because of working conditions, explaining that about 40,000 people with educational qualifications work in jobs outside of government schools.
Parents bear some responsibility.
Lars Sandahl Sørensen, the executive director of the Danish Industry Organisation, also placed some of the responsibility for the situation on the parents.
He said that parents cannot simply hand their children over to school and leave the responsibility there, but must help teach their children to be punctual, to deal with others, to listen and behave appropriately in school life.
Warning of declining curiosity and rising negative experiences
The study's findings weren't limited to academic achievement; it also showed a decline in the percentage of students who are curious about learning. Furthermore, the percentage of Danish students who reported being threatened, hit, pushed, or having negative rumors spread about them increased slightly compared to the 2022 results.
In contrast, TV2 pointed out that other countries have managed to improve their results, including Turkey, whose students have seen continuous improvement since participating in PISA in 2003, through investments in digital education, increased national testing, and support programs for weak students.
The new results highlight the scale of the challenge facing Danish schools, as the government moves to increase investment and seek a range of measures to address the decline and raise the academic level of students.
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