Quick Answer: In 2022, Finland scored 490 in reading on PISA, down 30 points from 2018, and Estonia overtook it as Europe's reading leader (OPH blog). In response, Finland's Ministry of Education launched a four-year programme in 2025 that adds compulsory instructional hours in mother-tongue literacy, math, and science to existing curricula (FESIN, 2025).
Last reviewed: April 14, 2026
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 (OPH blog, Opetushallitus). That is the steepest decline the country has recorded since PISA assessments began.
Estonia has now overtaken Finland and holds the top reading score in Europe (OPH blog). The shift matters because it shows Finland's decline is absolute, not relative to a broader European drop.
The OPH report identifies two structural causes. The first is increased screen time: 41% of Finnish 15-year-olds said that digital-device use disrupts their concentration on studying (PISA 2022 / OPH blog). The second is a general weakening of time spent reading outside school. The two factors compound each other.
What Does the 2025 Finnish Programme Involve?
In 2025, Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture launched the Programme for Equality and Non-Discrimination in Education and Training 2025, a four-year national initiative (FESIN, 2025).
This programme does not introduce a new national core curriculum. It adds compulsory instructional hours in mother-tongue literacy, mathematics, and science to existing curricula. The distinction matters: this is a targeted increase in time allocated to foundational subjects, not a rewrite of learning objectives.
The EU Education and Training Monitor 2025 for Finland confirms that this reorientation reflects an institutional recognition that past cognitive gains are not permanent and require sustained investment in direct instructional time (EU Education and Training Monitor 2025, Finland country report).
How Does This Connect to Canadian Decisions on Personal Devices?
Finland's 41% digital-distraction figure did not land in isolation. Quebec has introduced a provincial phone ban in schools, a measure that aligns with what Finland observed empirically in its own PISA data. Ontario followed with an expanded mobile phone ban.
What Finland provides, through longitudinal PISA data, is an empirical argument for these decisions: students' personal screen time during the school day carries a measurable correlation with reading outcomes. This is not a pedagogical hypothesis; it is a large-scale research finding involving tens of thousands of students.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Finland Change Its National Curriculum in 2025?
No. The 2025 programme adds compulsory instructional hours in literacy, math, and science to existing curricula. A full revision of Finland's national core curriculum is planned for after 2026. The distinction is important: this is an increase in time allocated to foundational subjects, not a rewrite of learning objectives (FESIN, 2025).
Did Other Countries Also See PISA Scores Fall in 2022?
Yes. PISA 2022 showed declines across many countries, partly attributed to COVID-19-related disruptions. What distinguishes Finland's case is the scale of the drop (30 points), the fact that it continues a longer-term trend, and the country's institutional response: a formal programme targeting direct instructional time in core subjects (OPH blog).
Why Has Estonia Overtaken Finland in Reading?
Estonia has maintained a systematic approach to explicit reading instruction and preserved substantial school time dedicated to core subjects. The comparison with Finland is useful because the two countries share similar socio-economic contexts, which makes the score gap harder to attribute to external factors (OPH blog).
What Do Finland's Data Mean for an Elementary Teacher in Quebec or Ontario?
They confirm that classroom time spent on reading and writing has a measurable long-term impact on outcomes. They also show that personal digital devices in the school environment are associated with reduced concentration, even among 15-year-olds in one of the world's top school systems. 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 lets teachers send updates to families without students needing a personal device. Important information travels directly between the school and parents, reducing the pull of the phone during class for students who would otherwise carry messages back and forth. It is an organisational choice that aligns communication practice with what the data show about concentration.