Georgian PM: Georgia improves across all key PISA areas, records strongest decade performance

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday welcomed Georgia’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, saying the country had improved its performance across all major areas measured by the international study, achieving its strongest results in mathematics and science in the past decade.

Speaking about the findings, Kobakhidze said the assessment reflects a positive trend in Georgia’s education system despite a broader global decline in student achievement.

“The results of the PISA study have been published, once again assessing the achievement levels of school-age children. We are pleased to report that Georgia has improved its indicators in all key areas, with the best results of the past decade recorded in mathematics and science”, he said.

The Prime Minister highlighted Georgia’s progress in reducing the share of low-performing students, noting that the country ranked among the top three out of 91 participating nations in this category.

“In terms of improvement in science achievement, Georgia ranked first among the 91 countries participating in the study. While student performance is declining globally, Georgia continues to demonstrate a stable trend of improvement. The proportion of low-achieving students has also decreased significantly. In this regard, Georgia is among the top three countries worldwide. At the same time, the achievement gap between students in urban and rural schools has narrowed, which is an important indicator for ensuring educational equality”, Kobakhidze noted.

The PISA assessment also examined students’ perceptions of their school environment and overall school experience.

“The study shows that students view their learning environment positively. According to the survey results, Georgia’s indicators for learning conditions, sense of belonging at school, discipline, and levels of bullying are at or above the international average”, he added.

Kobakhidze linked the results to the Government’s ongoing education reform agenda, arguing that the successful implementation of reforms in both general and higher education would drive further progress in the years ahead.

“Despite these encouraging results, there is no room for complacency. While the trend is clearly positive, challenges remain and much work still needs to be done. This is exactly what our education reform concept, presented to the public for both general and higher education, is designed to address. The effective implementation of these reforms will ensure further improvements in student outcomes over the medium and long term”, he continued.

On the same day, Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s Director for Education and Skills, praised Georgia’s latest PISA performance, describing the country’s progress as a model for education systems around the world.