Finland and PISA 2022: the reading decline and the 2025 literacy programme

For decades, Finland was the school system the world travelled to study. Its PISA scores, teacher training model, and pedagogical approach generated a steady stream of research visits and policy reports. The 2022 PISA results changed that picture.

What Do Finland's PISA 2022 Results Show?

Finland scored an average of 490 points in reading at PISA 2022, a drop of 30 points from PISA 2018 (Finnish Government). The OECD average was 476. The official Finnish summary says the score "dropped markedly".

Estonia scored 511 in reading, well ahead of Finland. It did not stand alone at the top in Europe: Ireland scored 516, and the two were statistically tied (OECD). Finland's drop was also part of a wider trend: performance fell in Finland and in nearly all other OECD countries (Finnish Government).

The student questionnaire also points to distraction in class. 41% of Finnish 15-year-olds said that students' digital devices distracted them in all or most mathematics lessons, against an OECD average of 31% (Finnish Government).

What Does the 2025 Finnish Programme Involve?

In 2025, Finland began adding lesson hours to primary school to strengthen basic skills. Pupils in grades 1 and 2 get two more weekly hours of Finnish or Swedish language and literature, and pupils in grades 3 to 6 get one more weekly hour of mathematics. The government invests EUR 200 million, and schools apply the change from August 2025 (Eurydice).

This reform does not introduce a new national core curriculum. Only the number of teaching hours increases, which leaves more time to cover the existing content. It adds no science hours. The distinction matters: this is a targeted increase in time allocated to foundational subjects, not a rewrite of learning objectives.

A separate Ministry of Education and Culture initiative, the Programme for equity and non-discrimination in education and training, runs from 2025 to 2027. It targets bullying, harassment and discrimination across the education system and adds no lesson time (Finnish Government).

How Does This Connect to Canadian Decisions on Personal Devices?

Finland's 41% digital-distraction figure fits a wider debate about phones in class. Quebec has banned cellphones in its schools (Éducaloi). Ontario already limits them: since 2024-25, phones in kindergarten to grade 6 stay on silent and out of sight all day, and students in grade 7 and up cannot use them in class (Ontario Bar Association).

PISA does not prove that phones lower reading scores. It is a cross-sectional survey, a snapshot of 15-year-olds at one point in time, and the Finnish figure concerns distraction in mathematics lessons. What the data do show is that many students in a high-performing system report regular distraction from digital devices in class.

For elementary teachers in Quebec and Ontario, this reinforces the value of keeping family communication off students' personal devices. When school updates travel through a school-managed platform rather than through children's phones, the school-family connection is maintained without adding to students' in-class distractions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did Finland Change Its National Curriculum in 2025?

No. From August 2025, Finland adds two weekly lesson hours of Finnish or Swedish in grades 1 and 2, and one weekly hour of mathematics in grades 3 to 6. The curriculum stays the same: only the number of teaching hours increases. The distinction is important: this is more time for foundational subjects, not a rewrite of learning objectives (Eurydice).

Did Other Countries Also See PISA Scores Fall in 2022?

Yes. Performance fell in Finland and in nearly all other OECD countries (Finnish Government). What distinguishes Finland's case is the size of its reading drop (30 points) and its concrete response: more weekly lesson hours for reading and mathematics in primary school (Eurydice).

Why Has Estonia Overtaken Finland in Reading?

Estonia scored 511 in reading at PISA 2022, well above Finland at 490. It was not alone at the top in Europe: Ireland scored 516, and the difference between Ireland and Estonia was not statistically significant. PISA scores alone do not show why one system outperforms another, so the gap is not proof of any single teaching approach (OECD).

What Do Finland's Data Mean for an Elementary Teacher in Quebec or Ontario?

They show that Finland now treats lesson time for reading and mathematics as worth new public money. They also show that digital devices distract many students: 41% of Finnish 15-year-olds said digital devices distracted them in all or most mathematics lessons, against an OECD average of 31%. For an elementary teacher, this reinforces the value of protecting the daily literacy block and routing family communication through channels that do not pass through students' devices.

Do School Communication Platforms Help Protect Literacy Time?

A platform like LinoClass sends class updates from the teacher to parents, who join on the teacher's invitation. Students do not have to carry messages back and forth or check a phone for school news. It is an organisational choice that keeps school-family messages out of the classroom.