The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has called on Catalonia to investigate and address significant errors in its participation in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. These errors have rendered Catalonia's results incomparable with other regions and previous assessments.
In the 2025 PISA tests, a substantial 23.2% of students were exempted from the exams, far exceeding the OECD's recommended maximum of 5%. This high exemption rate has compromised the representativeness of the sample, making it impossible to assess whether the educational standards in Catalonia have improved or declined.
The issue was identified by the OECD in March 2026, but the Catalan government did not disclose it until July, citing the need to evaluate the impact before making it public. The delay in communication has intensified political tensions, with opposition parties questioning the government's transparency and management of the situation.
Catalonia's Education Minister, Esther Niubó, has stated that an internal investigation is ongoing to determine the causes of the error. She has also indicated that once the investigation is complete, accountability measures will be taken, and improvements will be implemented to prevent future occurrences.
The OECD's report highlights a broader concern about the decline in educational outcomes in Catalonia, noting a 38-point decrease in reading and a 24-point decrease in mathematics scores. The OECD urges the Catalan government to reverse these trends by addressing educational inequalities and implementing evidence-based reforms.
The Catalan government faces the challenge of restoring public trust and ensuring that future educational assessments accurately reflect student performance. The outcome of the internal investigation and the subsequent actions taken will be crucial in determining the effectiveness of the government's response to this issue.