Catalan language scores hit lowest since 2013 in latest school skills test

The results of the basic skills tests, taken by 4th-year high school students (15-16 years old) in Catalonia, improved in general except for Catalan and English. 

The scores in Catalan continue to decline, registering the worst scores since 2013. The English scores also declined compared to last year. 

However, scores are higher in the other subjects evaluated: Spanish, math, science, technology, and engineering. 

The tests, also taken by 6th-grade primary school students (12-year-olds), show the same trend: a decline in Catalan and English, and an increase in the other subjects evaluated (Spanish, math, and natural sciences). 

The Education Department said that the figures confirm the improvement in scores initiated last year. 

"The uptrend seen these last two years is now confirmed with today's results, but we must wait for results in upcoming years, as two years are not enough. We must be cautious," said Anna Simó, the sitting education minister.

In December 2023, the revelation of Catalonia's results in the 2022 PISA tests sparked a huge controversy over the state of the education system. 

In the tests, Catalan pupils fell in all three areas of assessment, ranking below the average for Spain and other countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).