The continued decline of PISA results in Mathematics, Reading and Sciences is not just a statistical indicator about the state of Portuguese schools, but a warning sign about the future of collective critical thinking. The data reveal that reading ability and mathematical reasoning have fallen to levels below those of the year 2000, turning the problem from merely pedagogical to structural and social.
The educational process is based on the ability to interpret what is read and to structure logical reasoning. Without mastering reading, young people lose the essential tool for absorbing knowledge and questioning facts. Without mathematical reasoning, they lose the ability to analyze data and think rigorously, becoming structurally more vulnerable to manipulation by simplistic or populist narratives.
The response of the educational system to this decline has been to bet on oversimplification, grade subsidization and lowering standards to disguise failure in the statistics. By eliminating the value of effort and rigor, a less capable population for scrutiny is formed, preparing to accept mediocrity in citizenship.
The article also warns about the growing shortage of teachers in Portugal, associating this educational crisis with a future of greater manipulation of society. The author leaves a warning that news should follow the path of gratuitousness, as happens in public transport.
