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Ensuring that all pupils . At the same time, the EU also needs a substantial number of young people with excellent levels of basic skills to sustain its future innovation capacity.

However, findings from the PISA 2022 study highlight significant underachievement in basic skills, with a significant share of 15-year-olds that are not able to interpret simple texts, use basic algorithms, or apply simple scientific knowledge. At the same time, the number of students reaching top performance in those skills is declining in many EU countries. Regarding digital skills, the (ICILS) revealed that around one third of eighth graders (i.e., pupils around the age of 13) fell below the basic proficiency level.

More worryingly, there are notable disparities linked to ; 48% of disadvantaged pupils in the EU underachieve in mathematics, and the percentage is rising.

This survey aimed to gather insights on the possible factors impacting the development of basic skills across all educational levels, the challenges faced in teaching these skills and the most effective strategies to overcome these challenges.

The survey gathered 1,749 responses, mostly from educational practitioners (teachers 70% and school leaders 5%) in Germany, Ukraine, Romania and Croatia.

Which of the following best describes your role?

1. Teacher – secondary education
2. Teacher – primary education
3. Parent
4. Teacher – vocational education
5. Teacher – early childhood education and care
6. School head
7. Teacher educator/trainer
8. Other educational professional/stakeholder
9. In-school support (e.g. school librarian, career counsellor)
10. National, regional or local authority
11. Education policymaker
12. External practitioner (visiting schools)

1 - How would you rate pupils’ performance in basic skills (in your school or a school you know of)?

The data reflect the varied perceptions of respondents about the performance of pupils’ basic skills. On average, only 6% consider that most pupils excel across all basic skills, while 14% feel that very few pupils reach the required national standards. 

Respondents are more positive about literacy and digital skills than mathematics and science skills. 9% report that most pupils excel in digital skills, 42% think that a majority meet the required level and 32% say that many struggle. In literacy, 7% believe that most pupils excel and 41% think a majority meet the necessary standards. 

In mathematics, only 4% perceive that most pupils excel, while 17% think very few pupils reach the required level. 42% say many fall short of the expected level. When it comes to science, only 3% perceive that most pupils excel and 16% say only a few reach the required level.

A. Most pupils excel. 
B. Most pupils reach the required level. 
C. Some pupils excel, but many do not reach the required level.
D. Very few pupils reach the required level.
E. I am not sure / I don’t know.

1. Literacy
2. Mathematics
3. Science
4. Digital skills
5. Average

2. In your view, which of the following are the most important reasons to ensure all pupils reach adequate levels of basic skills?

Respondents most frequently (55%) selected ‘to critically assess information, protecting them from disinformation, manipulation and fraud’ when asked for reasons to teach basic skills. Slightly fewer (52%) believed that basic skills foster both social integration and help individuals adapt to societal and technological changes.

A smaller percentage (32%) recognised that these skills help in understanding health and wellbeing issues, while 31% noted their role in promoting engagement in democratic processes and civic activities. Interestingly, only 17% felt that having basic skills could deter individuals from anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Basic skills are important to:

1. critically reflect and be cautious against disinformation, manipulation and fraud
2. be socially integrated and included
3. adapt to societal and technological changes
4. access and use digital technologies effectively and in a healthy way
5. succeed in further education and academic study
6. have versatile employment options and better paid jobs
7. understand and manage one’s health and wellbeing
8. participate in democratic processes and civic activities
9. avoid engaging in anti-social and criminal activities

3. In your view, which of the following factors hinder the development of pupils’ basic skills?

The development of pupils’ basic skills is perceived to be primarily hindered by pupils’ low motivation to learn (62%), followed by limited parental engagement and excessive use of digital devices for leisure (both 48%). Fewer respondents considered a lack of time or skills for effective collaboration (22%) and limited access to resources and language barriers (18% each) to be issues.

Only 14% indicated that pupils’ sense of belonging at school affects their skills development. While a sense of belonging can be an important factor in pupils’ overall wellbeing, it may not be as central to skills development. This aligns with the that high performance is not necessarily linked to a greater sense of belonging, and conversely, lower performance does not automatically indicate a weaker sense of belonging.

1. Pupils’ low motivation to learn (including owing to behavioural issues in the classroom).
2. Limited parental engagement in their children’s education (from early years on).
3. Pupils’ extended use of digital devices for leisure activities in everyday life.
4. Large class sizes and lack of attention to pupils’ specificities.
5. Increased administrative and curricular demands on teachers, including high-stakes exams.
6. An uninspiring and irrelevant curriculum.
7. Lack of timely identification of pupils’ individual needs, including special educational needs.
8. Insufficient targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds.
9. Teachers’ lack of time or skills to collaborate with colleagues, parents and other stakeholders.
10. Insufficient pedagogical competences of teachers to apply efficient teaching and assessment strategies for basic skills.
11. Limited access to resources (e.g. books, digital devices, internet).
12. Language barriers (e.g. low proficiency in the language of instruction).
13. Pupils feeling they do not belong to school (e.g. due to insecurity and poor wellbeing).

4. In your view, which of the following would be most effective to overcome these challenges?

No single option emerges as a best-perceived way to overcome challenges to developing pupils’ basic skills. Respondents rated three strategies similarly highly: increasing parental involvement (34%), improving classroom behaviour, engagement and motivation (34%) and curriculum flexibility to meet individual student needs (31%). 

These strategies were closely followed by promotion of wellbeing and supportive learning environments (30%) and collaborative teaching methods (27%).

The options least favoured by the respondents were: engaging with local organisations/companies (10%), individualised methodologies (13%) and increasing teacher training on technology (17%).

1. An increased focus on improving classroom behaviour, engagement and motivation.
2. Promoting parental involvement and support in education, including through parents’ education and family learning.
3. Allowing curriculum flexibility to meet pupils’ individual needs.
4. Promoting wellbeing and supportive learning environments.
5. Promoting collaborative and multi-disciplinary approaches, e.g. by allocating more time for teachers to collaborate and plan.
6. Providing high-quality professional development opportunities on basic skills teaching and assessment for all teachers (also including reading strategies in other than language subjects).
7. Ensuring access to up-to-date and relevant teaching materials and resources, including digital.
8. More one-to-one support for pupils at risk or with special needs.
9. Improving school facilities and internet access.
10. Training for teachers on integrating technology into basic skills teaching.
11. More individualised teaching and assessment, including through AI technology.
12. Engaging community organisations, businesses and external experts.

5. In which areas would additional professional development for teachers best support the development of basic skills?

The survey identified key areas for targeted professional development to improve pupils’ basic skills. Interestingly, effective strategies for teaching different basic skills are not among the respondents’ top choices. Instead, respondents felt most strongly that support is needed on approaches to enhance pupil engagement and motivation (49%) and to promote wellbeing, mental health and socio-emotional learning (40%). 

Fewer respondents advocated training in collaborative practices and multidisciplinary teamwork (31%) and better support strategies for students with special educational needs (24%), while 22% highlighted refining approaches to reading instruction. Finally, 18% recognised the need for training teachers in delivering basic skills instruction in multilingual and multicultural contexts.

1. Enhancing pupil engagement and motivation.
2. Understanding wellbeing and mental health issues, fostering a positive and welcoming environment (e.g. free from violence and bullying), and supporting the development of social and emotional competences of learners.
3. Collaborative practices and work in multi-disciplinary teams.
4. Effective strategies for teaching science (e.g. more hands-on, experiential or nature-based learning).
5. Differentiating and personalising teaching and learning.
6. Classroom and behaviour management and techniques.
7. Innovative assessment and feedback techniques (e.g. focus on formative assessment).
8. Effective strategies for teaching mathematics (e.g. more focus on mathematics in daily life).
9. Integrating digital tools in teaching.
10. Supporting pupils with special educational needs or facing specific difficulties.
11. Effective strategies for teaching reading (e.g. guided reading, phonics instruction, comprehension, fluency).
12. Teaching basic skills in multilingual and multicultural settings.

Discussion

The survey data highlight a significant disparity in perceptions of pupils’ basic skills performance. While a minority of respondents feel that most pupils excel in their school or at a school they know, many more recognise a need for improvement, particularly in mathematics and science, where perceptions of underperformance are notably higher than in digital skills and literacy. 

Respondents identified low motivation and insufficient parental engagement to be significant barriers to effective skills development, highlighting a need for targeted interventions. Strategies considered by respondents to most enhance basic skills focus on fostering parental involvement, improving classroom dynamics and adapting curricula to meet individual student needs. 

The call for increased teacher professional development in areas such as pupil engagement, mental health and collaborative practices reflects the need for a whole-school approach to improving pupils’ basic skills and better preparing them for the future.