Hong Kong Students Excel in Digital Learning but Face Declines in Core Subjects in PISA 2025
Hkgov · 6 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago3 MIN
Summary
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 results released on September 8 reveal that Hong Kong's 15-year-old students excelled in the newly introduced "Learning in the Digital World" domain while experiencing declines across core academic subjects. The assessment involved 6,445 students from 230 secondary schools across 91 participating countries and economies . Hong Kong ranked sixth globally in the digital learning category with a score of 545, significantly above the international average of 500, with over 40% of students achieving high proficiency in programming, modelling, and computational logic . In contrast, core subject rankings declined: science fell to 17th place from 7th in PISA 2022, mathematics dropped to 7th from 4th, and reading declined to 15th from 11th . Education officials and academic experts attributed the global score declines partly to COVID-19 disruptions and the impact of digital technology on reading habits, while emphasizing Hong Kong's continued strength in educational equity .
Key Points
- Hong Kong achieved 545 points in "Learning in the Digital World," ranking sixth globally and significantly above the 500-point international average
- Science scores dropped to 496 points, ranking 17th globally—a decline of 10 places from PISA 2022's 7th place ranking
- Mathematics fell to 522 points, ranking 7th globally, down 3 places from the previous cycle, while reading declined to 480 points, ranking 15th
- Core subject scores fell 18 to 24 points compared to PISA 2022 across all three domains, though all remained above international averages
- Hong Kong maintained its position among the world's top three education systems in educational equity, with approximately 15% of disadvantaged students achieving high performance status compared to the 12% international average
Why It Matters
The PISA 2025 results highlight both Hong Kong's strengths in digital literacy and STEAM education and the challenges in maintaining performance across traditional academic subjects. The Education Bureau has established an Education Performance Assessment Expert Group to systematically analyze results and integrate findings into education policy, collaborating with the University of Hong Kong research team and education stakeholders . These findings provide valuable insights for educators to address learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly in strengthening student motivation, self-adjustment abilities, and information evaluation skills .
The PISA 2025 results highlight both Hong Kong's strengths in digital literacy and STEAM education and the challenges in maintaining performance across traditional academic subjects. The Education Bureau has established an Education Performance Assessment Expert Group to systematically analyze results and integrate findings into education policy, collaborating with the University of Hong Kong research team and education stakeholders . These findings provide valuable insights for educators to address learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly in strengthening student motivation, self-adjustment abilities, and information evaluation skills .