Three percent of Rwandan students who took part in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reached the baseline proficiency level across reading, mathematics and science, according to results released in Kigali on Tuesday, September 8.

The results show that 12.7 per cent of students reached the baseline level in science, compared with 7.7 per cent in mathematics and 3.9 per cent in reading.

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Education experts have weighed in on Rwanda’s first participation in PISA and the lessons that can be drawn from the findings.

Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said the assessment gives Rwanda an opportunity to compare its education system with those of other countries and assess how well learners apply what they learn in school.

He said the assessment should not be viewed solely through Rwanda’s scores, but also in terms of what the country can learn from other education systems.

"PISA gives us a window into what we are doing and what we are teaching, and how those we teach are applying that knowledge in everyday life,” Nsengimana said.

He acknowledged that Rwanda’s results were below the level the country wants to achieve, particularly in reading comprehension, mathematics and science. He said the findings should be addressed openly rather than explained away.

Nsengimana said the PISA findings are also consistent with areas of concern identified through Rwanda’s national assessments, providing further evidence of where improvements are needed.

"We will study the results and use them to set targets for improving learning outcomes. We will also look at countries that have improved their PISA performance and learn from their experience. We have seen countries that have improved their performance in just three years, for example, Cambodia,” he said.

Nsengimana said Rwanda’s decision to participate in PISA was also intended to support evidence-based decision-making in education.

The country plans to take part in PISA 2029, providing an opportunity to measure progress against the targets it sets.

Didas Kayihura Muganga, acting vice chancellor of the University of Rwanda, said PISA provides an opportunity for Rwanda to assess whether its education system is delivering the skills envisaged under the competence-based curriculum.

"PISA gives us an opportunity to look at ourselves and assess where we are in relation to the competence-based curriculum. It is not only about how we teach in classrooms, but also about the impact of what students learn. Are they able to translate that knowledge into problem-solving?” he said.

Muganga said the assessment highlights the role parents play in supporting their children’s learning, but cautioned that parents do not have the same level of education or ability to provide such support.

"I have always asked my sons, ‘How was school? What did you learn today? How does it help you in your day-to-day life? What do you think you will become in the future?’ These simple questions contribute to the learning process,” he said.

"However, the assessment presupposes that all systems and all parents are equal. If we expect parents to ask these questions, we need to consider their level of education. Some Rwandan parents may not even be at the level of their children and may not be able to ask the right questions. That support cannot always be expected from them.”

He also questioned whether some findings, particularly those on cyberbullying, fully reflect students’ experiences across the country, given the sampling and restrictions on access to phones and computers in some boarding schools.

"If we were to assess students more generally, especially those in boarding schools, there would be concerns about that. In boarding schools, students are often not allowed to have phones, and access to computers is regulated,” he said.

Muganga said the findings should be used to identify gaps in the education system and guide efforts to address them.

He said the results would provide a baseline against which Rwanda can measure the impact of interventions before the next assessment.

"This is the first of its kind. When we do the second one in 2029, we should be able to see whether the investments we are making to address the gaps are producing results and whether we are improving our education system,” he said.

Soumaya Maghnouj, an analyst in the PISA Directorate for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said PISA gives Rwanda an external view of how its students perform compared with students in other countries.

"PISA provides both a window and a mirror for the education system. It allows Rwanda to see how its students fare against global education measures and to learn from countries with different contexts, including its neighbours and those further afield.”

Maghnouj said the findings can help the Ministry of Education identify areas that need further investigation and action, including policies on teaching and learning, school resources and support for students.

She said Rwanda also has a strong foundation in students’ optimism about their future and the value they place on education.

"The challenge for the Rwandan education system is to turn that hope into stronger performance. That requires identifying the policies and interventions needed to improve teaching and learning and respond to students’ specific needs.”