14/09/2026
In the recently published PISA report (Programme for International Student Assessment) England ranked 8th out of 91 countries globally for science, 9th for reading and 10th for maths. While England has cause to celebrate these rankings, as well as the fact that they improved their raw scores on both science and reading and maintained their score in maths, they were unusual in bucking an overall downward trend globally, particularly in reading and maths.
Some of the reasons for the downward trend (particularly in reading skills) include:
1. An increase in “hasty readers” - in consequence of social media exposure, modern teenagers have become faster at visual processing but struggle to evaluate information, cross-reference multiple sources, check facts, and separate opinion from objective data.
2. The decline of reading for pleasure means that many students lack the vocabulary and the mental stamina to process demanding texts.
3. Classroom distractions (in particular smartphone usage) and other structural challenges have impacted on student performance - including increased absenteeism following COVID lockdowns and declining parental support and engagement.
As a maths and English Instructor specializing in the Kumon method (which originated in Japan), I was struck by the fact that six or seven of the countries in the “Top Ten” for all three subjects are from East Asia (including China, Japan and South Korea) or Singapore. Over more than 15 years of supporting children to achieve their full potential in maths and English, I have seen the amazing results that can be achieved through Kumon study in terms of developing excellent academic skills as well as strong study skills, confidence, and a positive attitude to study.
If you would like to support your child to fulfil their potential in maths and/or English, get in touch on [email protected] or through our website, www.kumon.co.uk/guildford-north. We are currently offering FREE registration (a saving of £40 per student), so now is a good time to enquire!
