Primeiro-Ministro Luís Montenegro attributed on Wednesday the poor results of Portuguese students in the international PISA study to "political decisions that were also not the best", in a reference to the previous Socialist Government led by António Costa. Montenegro considered that "the result obtained was not better because the decisions also would not have been the best".
The PISA 2025 results, released by the OECD, show that in Reading and Mathematics the recent declines extend previous reductions observed between 2015 and 2022. The most recent results approach 2006 levels in the three subjects assessed, including Science, completely reversing gains previously achieved.
The statements were made at the ceremonial session after the Council of Ministers, held at the new Polytechnic University of Bragança. Montenegro argued that it is necessary to reflect on the results and that "the explanations" for the situation lie in the decisions made over the years.
However, Montenegro's own Executive rejected political responsibilities for the poor results. The Secretary of State for Higher Education and Science, Alexandre Homem Cristo, stated that "we are talking about results that are historical, but in the negative sense", lamenting the situation.
