Daniel David explains Romania’s poor PISA 2025 results: “You cannot demand performance without the PISA paradigm”

Former Education and Research Minister Daniel David explained on Monday, September 14, on public radio, the poor results achieved by Romanian students in the PISA 2025 tests. He maintains that Romania cannot expect strong performance in these assessments as long as students are not consistently prepared according to the PISA approach.

Daniel David considers it unfair to demand good PISA results if the education process does not place sufficient emphasis on skills, problem-solving and applying knowledge in real-life situations. “You cannot expect PISA results if you do not have the PISA paradigm in the education system,” the former minister said.

He noted that students are assessed in the second, fourth and sixth grades, but not always through exercises designed according to the same approach. In his view, moving directly to PISA tests in the ninth grade without gradual preparation partly explains the current results.

The statements come in the context of the fact that the profile of a lower-secondary school graduate has included skills resembling the PISA model since 2017. More than 55,000 teachers completed training in competency-based teaching in 2023. Interim Education Minister Mihai Dimian emphasized that recovery depends on better conditions in schools and support for teachers. He noted that Romanian students spend approximately 1,600 fewer hours in school than the OECD average.