{
  "id": 6620455,
  "title": "Youth losing critical skills and AI 'hollowing out' capabilities, PISA founder says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/youth-losing-critical-skills-and-ai-hollowing-out-capabilities-pisa",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-10T17:28:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/10/youth-losing-critical-skills-and-ai-hollowing-out-capabilities-pisa-founder-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Andreas Schleicher, founder of the OECD's renowned PISA tests, has expressed deep concern over the performance of young people in Europe. According to the recent standardised test results, particularly in reading and mathematics for 15-year-olds across 91 countries, performance has reached record lows in OECD countries. Schleicher noted a decline in students' ability to critically reflect, engage with complex texts, and use AI responsibly. He emphasized that these are essential skills in the era of artificial intelligence, which is not always accurate and thus requires a keen intuition to verify information. Schleicher also highlighted a concerning cycle where the overuse of AI without critical thinking further erodes the very skills we need. The PISA results show that students who do not use AI tend to perform better, suggesting that the solution lies in active engagement with ideas rather than passive consumption. The speed of technological advancement in many countries outpaces the education system's ability to reform, leading to a lack of wisdom in applying new technologies. However, Schleicher pointed out that guided, active use of AI, which prompts cognitive friction and encourages critical thinking, leads to better learning outcomes. Small countries are showing promising solutions, with Estonia's students ranking first in Europe and in the global top ten in all three assessment domains. Schleicher advised that the focus should shift from teaching easy-to-digitise skills to fostering human skills like ethical decision-making and navigating complex human relationships. For parents, he suggested showing genuine interest in their children's school life, as this significantly boosts academic performance. Teachers, he stressed, must evolve from being instructors to becoming coaches and mentors who genuinely care about their students' growth and future.",
  "summary": "The father of the world-famous standardised PISA tests warned that a dramatic decline in parental interest and tech-driven behavioural changes could be behind record-low student performances.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}