Public policies prioritizing the early identification and support of students at educational risk are necessary, Mayor Nicusor Dan stated on Tuesday following the release of the PISA test results.

'The results of the PISA 2025 study represent a major wake-up call that we cannot afford to ignore, regardless of the political or economic context. Romania's future depends on the education provided to our children today, and the perspective offered by the PISA study is deeply concerning,' stated the Head of State, according to the Presidential Administration.

He considers it 'dramatic' that the potential of young Romanians remains insufficiently utilized.

'There are serious inequalities between schools regarding the quality of education provided, and significant educational gaps persist between students from different socio-economic backgrounds,' highlights Nicusor Dan.

Thus, he notes, one of the most concerning conclusions of the PISA 2025 study is that a child's chances of achieving good academic results in Romania depend to an 'unacceptably high' degree on their family background and the school they attend.

'This is already a structural issue within the Romanian education system that we have a responsibility to remedy urgently. The PISA 2025 results must serve as a call to action and collaboration, not a cause for resignation or division. We are facing a moment of clarity that must quickly become a starting point for swiftly identifying the root causes of these results and, above all, the measures that can be rapidly implemented to correct them,' the Head of State emphasizes.

Furthermore, it calls for consistency in the education system.

'We have curious, intelligent children, dedicated teachers, schools performing under difficult conditions, and specialists who know what needs to change and where. We do not lack the human resources, expertise, and capacity needed to build a higher-performing and more equitable education system. What we do lack, however, is the consistency to transform these pockets of excellence into a national system that works for all children. We cannot envision the future in terms of a resilient society and competitiveness in the economy, research, innovation, and defense if young generations do not first acquire a set of fundamental skills,' says Nicusor Dan.

According to him, public policies are needed that prioritize the early identification and support of students at educational risk, the national implementation of a data-driven assessment system, the reduction of school dropout rates, the strengthening of core competencies in reading, mathematics, and science, the responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence, and the provision of quality learning conditions for all children, regardless of their background.

'Clearly, these measures cannot be implemented without significant budgetary allocations. Romania must invest more, more consistently, and more intelligently in education,' the President states.

Romanian students who participated in the PISA 2025 assessment achieved scores below the OECD average in Science, Mathematics, Reading, and Computational Problem Solving, Gabriela-Nausica Noveanu, the PISA 2025 national coordinator, stated on Tuesday.

According to her, approximately 760,000 students from around the world participated in the PISA 2025 assessment, including 7,725 students from 322 schools in Romania. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)