일본 학생 ‘수학·과학·읽기’ OECD 1위 싹쓸이…AI 활용은 ‘꼴찌권’

The International Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results on the 8th, highlighting Japan's top positions in mathematics, science, and reading. In the evaluation of 91 countries, Japan scored 4th in reading, tied for 5th in mathematics and science.

China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) topped mathematics (612 points) and science (597 points), while Singapore led in reading (535 points). If the evaluation targets are limited to OECD member countries of 38 nations, Japan achieved top rankings in all three categories. Japanese students outperformed the OECD average in all subjects, with mathematics average of 525 points (OECD 463), science 538 points (482), and reading 503 points (461).

Particularly notable was Japan's strong performance in reading, a subject showing a global decline in scores. The assessment measured students' ability to apply knowledge acquired in compulsory education to real-life tasks. This year, about 760,000 students from 91 countries participated in comparing the three areas. In Japan, 65,000 first-year high school students from 183 national high schools and 68,000 students from 196 middle and high schools in South Korea served as samples.

Japan's consistent high rankings in international education are attributed to a stable classroom learning environment. OECD reported that 12% of Japanese students believed studying was difficult in class, and 6% admitted not listening to teachers. These figures are 7% and 23% lower than the OECD average, respectively. Teachers' support for students' learning was also highlighted, with 84% of Japanese students responding positively to "teachers show interest in every student's learning" and "teachers teach until students understand."

These figures are 15% and 18% higher than the OECD average. Only 6% of Japanese students agreed that attending school was a waste of time, compared to the OECD average of 24%. Japan's ranking among OECD nations for utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in education was the lowest. Only 31.2% of Japanese respondents stated they had learned how to evaluate AI-generated information during lessons, while 39% reported never using AI chatbots for school assignments, closer to the OECD average.

OECD pointed out that while AI can enhance learning, it should not replace students' focus, concentration, and comprehension. World-wide declines in reading scores were attributed to fewer students reading books and an increase in "digital reading," which involves quickly scanning social media and other online content.