Former Secretary of State for Education João Costa held social media responsible for Portugal's decline in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings, stating that "the world of social media is the worst enemy of good learning." Costa, who served during the previous government, argued that the current administration should not be blamed for the results obtained.
Portugal recorded a significant decline in PISA results, which assess the performance of 15-year-old students in literacy, mathematics, and science. The data places the country below the OECD average in several areas, reversing positive trends observed in previous assessments.
In reaction to João Costa's statements, the current Secretary of State for Education, Alexandre Cristo, recalled that the students tested in PISA experienced the covid-19 pandemic and its effects on education. Cristo highlighted that this context may explain, at least in part, the decline in international results.
