TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canadian students are among the world's top performers in science, according to a major international assessment report released today by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducts a survey every three years to assess the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds nearing the conclusion of their compulsory education. The primary domain assessed in PISA 2025 was science, with reading and mathematics as minor domains. Computational problem-solving was also assessed as part of the innovative domain (learning in the digital world). The assessment encompassed 83 countries and 8 economies, engaging 5,000 to 10,000 students from at least 150 schools in each one. In Canada, an impressive number of approximately 24,600 students from close to 900 schools across the provinces participated. Canada's participation included all 10 provinces. Students in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut did not participate in PISA 2025 and are therefore not represented in the Canadian results.

Here are the highlights for Canada from PISA 2025:

• Canadian 15-year-olds demonstrated strong performance in science, consistently ranking among the top-performing countries and economies. Of the 83 countries and 8 economies participating in the assessment, Canada was outperformed by only one non-OECD country (Singapore), three OECD countries (Japan, Estonia, and Korea) and three economies [B-S-J-Z (China), Macao (China), and Chinese Taipei].
• Eighty-four percent of Canadian students achieved proficiency at or above Level 2 in science. In comparison, the OECD average stood at a lower 74 percent. Level 2 is considered to be the foundational proficiency level necessary to fully engage in further learning opportunities and participate meaningfully in contemporary society.
• Canadian students demonstrated strong performance in both reading and mathematics. In reading, only six countries and three economies outperformed Canada, while in mathematics, only five countries and four economies achieved superior results.
• Canadian students performed well in PISA 2025; however, comparative results over time emphasize the imperative for ongoing attention to educational outcomes. Although Canadian scores across the three domains of science, reading, and mathematics remain high compared to those of other participating countries and economies, there has been a gradual long-term decline in scores in all three domains over time. While Canadian scores in science remained stable in comparison to the two most recent PISA cycles before 2025 (2022 and 2018), scores have declined in comparison to the last cycles where science was the major domain (2015 and 2006). Canadian reading and mathematics scores declined in comparison to the most recent cycles, as well as in comparison to the major domain years. It is noteworthy to mention that the decline in scores is a trend seen in the majority of other participating countries and economies.

Additional notable findings from PISA 2025 include the following:

• Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec demonstrated performance in science that was in line with Canada's overall strong results and shared top standing in science compared to other provinces.
• Across Canada, there was notable variation in science performance based on gender, with boys surpassing girls in average scores. A gender gap in science was observed in more than half of the other participating countries and economies.
• In reading, girls outperformed boys both in Canada and on average across OECD countries. Conversely, in the field of mathematics, boys outperformed girls.
• In science, results exhibited variations based on the language of the school system. Students in Canada attending majority-language school systems outperformed their counterparts in minority-language school systems.

As in PISA 2022, for PISA 2025, a number of countries were obliged to conduct non-response bias analyses (NRBAs) because of lower-than-expected response rates. The purpose of the NRBAs was to determine whether the data were of acceptable quality for inclusion in the PISA data set, as well as to determine whether the results from participating (i.e., respondent) schools and students differ in comparison to the non-respondent schools and students. Both respondent and non-respondent schools and students were those selected for participation in PISA 2025.

In Canada, participation rates necessitated conducting an NRBA in a number of provinces. Findings from the province-specific NRBA, which was praised for its technical rigour, have positioned the Canadian data to be fully integrated into the PISA data sets. Nevertheless, it's important to note that the data from Canada, especially from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia, require careful interpretation due to potential non-response bias.

Canada's participation in PISA 2025 was made possible by funding provided by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and through the cooperation of the provinces under the aegis of CMEC.

For a comprehensive review of PISA 2025 results, access the Canadian report at https://cmec.ca/765/PISA_2025.html. The OECD's report is available at www.oecd.org/pisa/.

The ministers responsible for education commend and thank all the students, educators, principals, and school staff who devoted their time to participate in PISA 2025. The information provided by PISA results and analysis helps ministers make informed decisions about their respective education systems to better support students.

About CMEC

Founded in 1967, CMEC is the collective voice of Canada's ministers of education. It provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels and contributes to the exercise of the exclusive jurisdiction of provinces and territories over education. For more information, visit us at www.cmec.ca.

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SOURCE Council of Ministers of Education, Canada