How Slovakia’s reading problem starts long before PISA age
At a small primary and kindergarten school in western Slovakia, its principal is seeing reading-comprehension difficulties years before pupils sit the PISA tests.
Newly released PISA 2025 results show that more than a third of Slovak 15-year-olds failed to reach the minimum proficiency level in reading, with the country remaining below the OECD average.
While the causes behind Slovakia’s performance are still being analysed, educators and literacy advocates say reading habits need to be developed years before pupils reach PISA age.
At ZŠ s MŠ Prievaly, where classes have no more than 15 children, principal Svetlana Vachová says the national problem is already visible among younger children and has worsened in recent years.
“This is the biggest problem for society as a whole, because children read very little and, above all, are currently struggling with the mechanics of reading."
In response, the school encourages reading for enjoyment, with a library in every classroom and pupils able to bring their own books from home.
"They can choose their own book, rather than repeating the same text from a school reader ten times like a parrot," Vachová explains.
In neighbouring Cerová, Krajina čitatelov (Land of Readers) has established one of its classroom libraries, as part of its programme bringing books directly into schools across Slovakia.
“Reading habits are built through repeated, easy access to books,” its founder, Viktória Marcinová, said.
But for many Slovak children that access remains limited, as data cited by Krajina čitatelov shows around 41% of Slovak fourth graders live in households with no more than 25 books.
“It is not enough to tell schools that reading literacy matters while leaving individual teachers to find books, funding and solutions on their own,” Marcinová said.
Júlia Miklovičová, Slovakia’s National Project Manager for PISA, said the results may reflect long-term systemic deficiencies and socioeconomic disparities, with pupils’ socioeconomic status consistently influencing performance across PISA cycles.
The education ministry is now carrying out further analysis of the PISA 2025 results, including differences between rural and urban schools, with findings expected in the year 2027.
Miklovičová said more specific measures can only be introduced once that analysis is complete.
