Rwanda's first participation in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has shown gaps in what 15-year-olds can do with what they have learned, while also pointing to strong levels of equity and student optimism that could provide a foundation for improvement. In the results launched on Tuesday, September 8, the country's 15-year-olds recorded average scores of 317 points in science, 312 points in mathematics and 301 points in reading in the Programme. This performance is below the performance of the leading education systems participating in the 2025 assessment. However, the organisers of the assessment said first-time participating countries tend to have low scores. ALSO READ: What is PISA and why does it matter? More than 7,400 participants in Rwanda, and more than 760,000 participants globally across 91 countries and economies. Singapore, which is among the best performers, scored 560 points in science, 563 in mathematics and 535 in reading. The difference with Rwanda was particularly wide in reading, where Rwanda’s 301 points were 234 points below Singapore’s 535. In mathematics, the gap was 251 points, while science showed a difference of 243 points. Prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), PISA is not simply a test of how much students can remember from the classroom, instead it is designed to assess whether 15-year-olds can use and apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations and real-world problems. Performance in science Science was the main subject assessed in the 2025 cycle, and the results show that only about one in 10 Rwandan students reached Level 2, the baseline proficiency level in the PISA science framework. Most students were concentrated at Levels 1A and 1B, below that threshold. ALSO READ: NESA launches awareness campaign ahead of international student assessment Presenting the findings in Kigali, Soumaya Maghnouj, a PISA analyst, said being below Level 2 should not automatically be interpreted as meaning that students have no scientific knowledge. Rather, the challenge is whether they can mobilise that knowledge when confronted with a question or situation that is unfamiliar. Rwanda’s average performance was broadly comparable to that of Zambia and Kenya. Reading emerges as a particular concern The weakest of Rwanda’s three scores was in reading, at 301 points. PISA defines reading proficiency in terms of a student’s ability to understand, use and reflect on written texts for purposes including developing knowledge and participating in society. Globally, reading performance has deteriorated sharply, with the OECD average falling by 25 points between 2018 and 2025. But Rwanda’s results come as the country is already confronting challenges in reading comprehension. Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said the government would use the PISA findings alongside results from Rwanda’s own Learning Achievement in Rwandan Schools (LARS) assessments. The Minister pointed to recent LARS findings showing that while 70 per cent of learners could read at the expected level in Kinyarwanda, only 44 per cent adequately understood what they read. In English, around 60 per cent could read at the expected level, but only 24 per cent demonstrated adequate comprehension. “We must acknowledge these challenges openly. We must not hide from them and we must not make excuses,” Nsengimana said. “The results should instead be used to understand where the education system is struggling and what needs to change.” There’s small inequality between students One of the more encouraging findings for Rwanda was the relatively small difference in performance between students from more advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and those from less advantaged ones. Maghnouj described Rwanda’s performance distribution as relatively compact, suggesting that socioeconomic background does not produce as wide a learning gap as in many other systems. She said that it could be an opportunity as Rwanda could potentially focus on raising performance across the board while maintaining that relatively narrow gap. The findings also showed no major differences between advantaged and disadvantaged schools in reported shortages of educational materials or staff, another potential strength of the system. Students remain optimistic Beyond test scores, PISA also asked students about their experiences, attitudes and expectations. Most Rwandan students said they expect to do as well as or better than their parents in terms of education, and many expressed aspirations to attain higher occupational status. Their expectations of social mobility were higher than the OECD average. More than 70 per cent said they felt they belonged at school, broadly similar to the OECD average. Almost half of students said they saw value in what they were learning for their future. While that figure leaves considerable room for improvement, it suggests that a proportion of students can still see a connection between school and their future lives. Digital use, bullying and family support The assessment also highlights factors outside the classroom that may affect learning. Rwandan students reported some of the highest levels of digital device use at school among the systems discussed during the presentation, for both learning and leisure. Maghnouj cautioned that technology itself is not necessarily the problem. Moderate use for learning can be beneficial, while excessive use, particularly for leisure, is associated with weaker performance. Bullying is another concern. More than 20 per cent of Rwandan students reported experiencing some form of cyberbullying monthly, while Rwanda’s overall bullying index was relatively high compared with many participating countries. The presentation indicated a particularly large performance gap associated with cyberbullying, with students exposed to it performing around 60 points lower in science. Family support also emerged as an area requiring attention. Rwandan students reported relatively low levels of family support, including simple forms of engagement such as parents asking what happened at school, discussing school progress or talking about future plans. According to the findings, students who reported being asked about school life had science scores around 40 points higher than those who did not. Other African countries that participated in the 2025 PISA cycle are Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco and Zambia. Rwanda and Kenya were first-time participants. Nsengimana said the ministry is also planning a conference on September 17, bringing together African countries participating in PISA, countries considering participation and systems that have made significant improvements, including Cambodia. He also said Rwanda does not intend to step away from the assessment. The country plans to participate again in PISA 2029, giving policymakers an opportunity to measure whether reforms introduced after 2025 results translate into improved learning outcomes.
