The results of PISA 2025 placed Paraguay among Latin America's weakest performers, with declines in reading and science and very low levels of basic proficiency in mathematics. The international assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) measures 15-year-old students and, in this edition, was administered on computers for the first time.
Paraguay scored 352 points in reading, 355 in science and 334 in mathematics. Compared with 2022, scores fell by 21 points in reading, 13 in science and four in mathematics. The OECD considers that 69.4% of Paraguayan students scored below Level 2—the minimum proficiency threshold—in all three areas simultaneously. Only 0.1% reached the highest levels, 5 or 6.
The reading figures released also indicate that only 24% of students surpassed the basic level, compared with 69% across the OECD average. In mathematics, the rate was 10%, versus 64% across the organization; in science, it was 24%, compared with 74%. In the regional comparison, Paraguay ranked ahead only of Guatemala, while Uruguay and Chile posted some of the strongest Latin American results.
Education and Science Minister Luis Fernando Ramírez attributed part of the decline to the pandemic's impact on the generation that was in fourth through sixth grade when classes were interrupted. He also cited the transition from paper to computers and said schools still prepare students for a model different from the one required by PISA, which is based on interpretation, critical thinking and the application of knowledge.
The minister offered different messages, however, about the role of language. In one interview, Ramírez said that the fact that many students speak Guarani requires specific strategies and stated that a test administered in that language could produce better performance. In another statement, he rejected the idea that Guarani was “to blame” for the decline, although he acknowledged that it contributes to a distinct educational dynamic. These arguments do not replace analysis of the data or, by themselves, establish a causal relationship.
Ramírez also pointed to problems in teacher training. According to the diagnosis cited by the Ministry of Education and Science, 109,509 teachers were assessed in reading comprehension and 79,000 did not exceed the expected level. The minister advocated strengthening reading from early childhood, distributing bilingual books, guided use of technology and preparation for PISA 2028. He also said the government had delivered more than 20 million books and would prioritize the National System for Assessing the Educational Process, adapted to Paraguay's reality.
The situation comes amid a broader regional context of stagnation or decline. The 2025 edition showed declines in mathematics in Argentina and Mexico, stability in countries such as Brazil and Colombia, and a retreat by Chile in mathematics and reading. Even the strongest Latin American systems remain far behind global leaders, a gap associated with inequality, teacher training, infrastructure, school coverage and continuity in public policies.
Alongside the crisis in basic results, the Ministry of Education and Science announced a change in higher-education leadership. Resolution No. 1,238 appointed Hermenegildo Cohene Velázquez to chair the National Council of Higher Education (Cones), the body responsible for proposing and coordinating policies for the sector. He replaces Ramírez, has been deputy minister of higher education since March and is also rector of the National University of Itapúa. No reason for the change was given.