Reading and mathematics scores among 15-year-old students across 91 countries and economies fell to the lowest average levels in 26 years, according to a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) evaluation.

The Details: OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that average reading scores across OECD countries dropped by 28 points between 2015 and 2025, while math scores fell by 22 points. In the US, 65% of students met the baseline proficiency in math, while 74% did in reading and 78% did in science. US reading performance fell 14 points between 2022 and 2025, and was among the country's lowest recorded results since PISA began in 2000. The US fell behind several countries, including Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China and Canada, but scored above the overall OECD average in reading and science.

For Context: PISA is administered every three years to measure reading, science and mathematics skills in 15-year-old students. The 2025 assessment also evaluated students' critical thinking skills and their ability to apply what they've learned to real-world scenarios. More than 760,000 students participated, including 4,600 from the US.

On the Bright Side: Some outlets on the right pointed to bright-lines in the report, such as science scores rising 3 points from 2022 and the US investing more money into education. An article from The New York Post (Right bias) focused on the overall global decline, instead of just the US, writing, "It's a brain rot pandemic!" It mentioned the US's results toward the bottom of its article. A Fox News (Right) segment highlighted Mississippi's reading scores, which increased amid the overall decline. The National Desk (Right) contextualized the findings within an increase in education funding after COVID.

The US and China: Many outlets in the center and on the left emphasized the decrease among US students in comparison to Asian countries. CNN (Lean Left) contextualized the findings with "an intensifying rivalry between the US and China." It mentioned that China's results didn't come "without critics" as the data came from students in the country's more wealthy eastern coastal areas. The New York Times (Lean Left) also said China's results have "prompt[ed] skepticism about cherry-picked results."

Rise of AI: Outlets across the political spectrum noted the impacts of social media usage and the COVID-19 pandemic, but emphasized OECD's conclusion that AI strongly contributed to the decline. The Post wrote that the data "pointed to an obvious culprit behind the frightening phenomenon – students who regularly use AI and social media performed far worse." CNN wrote "higher digital distraction in the classroom" was one challenge identified in the study. The Times quoted someone from OECD that said AI is used in top Asian countries to "make students think harder, work harder" not make it easier for them. 

US Education System: The Times and The Hill (Center) used the report to talk more broadly about the US education system. The Times wrote that the findings are "the latest warning for an American education system that has seen test scores fall over the last decade." The Times argued that Asian countries "do a much better job of lifting up their most disadvantaged students." The Hill quoted the US Education Secretary who said the scores "confirm a decade of stagnation and a devastating gap: we successfully propel our highest achievers, but the lowest-performing students are falling further behind." Both outlets mentioned that the Trump administration had cut Education Department staff.

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Heads of state from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will meet in Cardiff on Monday to "sign a deal designed to kick-start the break-up of the United Kingdom," according to a new report from The Telegraph (Center bias).

Key Details: At the summit, the three will reportedly "demand the right to hold independence referendums," hold a press conference, and sign a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the economy, energy, Europe, and self-determination. Scotland and Wales will reportedly seek to rejoin the European Union as independent states, and Northern Ireland will seek unification with EU member Ireland.

For Context: On Saturday, during a visit to Dublin, American President Donald Trump said he would "love to see" Northern Ireland unite with Ireland and that "it's going to happen eventually." The New York Times (Lean Left) described Trump's comments as "breaking with decades of" US precedent. Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was "not aware that there is a majority of public support for another [Scottish] referendum and until that changes there won't be one."

Political Context: On May 8, Nigel Farage's conservative Reform UK party surged in elections across the UK, taking a huge share of positions away from Burnham's liberal Labour party. Though Reform made big gains in both Scotland and Wales, nationalist parties remained the most popular in each country. Northern Ireland did not hold elections on this day. After these elections, both Bloomberg (Center) and UnHerd (Center) published opinions suggesting Britain was headed for a breakup.

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Not a New Idea: Scotland's National Party formed in 1934 and has campaigned for independence since. In 2014, Scotland held an independence referendum, though the idea was rejected 55% to 45%. Wales has never held an independence referendum, though in 2011, Wales voted 63.5% in favor of a measure to expand their self-governing authority independent of Westminster. Northern Ireland has never held a referendum on becoming an entirely independent state. As part of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, the Northern Irish Secretary of State is obligated to call a referendum if it appears that a majority of Northern Irish voters would vote to leave the UK and unite with Ireland.

How The Media Covered It: As of Sunday morning, The Telegraph's report was not yet widely covered by major mainstream outlets. The Daily Mail (Lean Right) said the news "means all three countries are led by separatist leaders for the first time in modern history."

This is a developing story and may be updated as new coverage becomes available. Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

Iran used high‑resolution satellite imagery provided by Chinese entities to help target a US military base in Jordan, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal (Center).

Images Helped Iran Track a US Base: "US officials familiar with details of the incident" told WSJ that Iran received high‑resolution satellite images of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base ahead of the July 17 missile strike, which killed three US troops and wounded four others. The officials did not identify the Chinese entities involved or say the Chinese government directly supported the attack. WSJ said it analyzed publicly available satellite images that showed damage to more than 20 structures at the base, and Iran released its own high‑resolution images within three days of the strike. Iran also targeted manned and unmanned aircraft at the facility, according to WSJ.

Iran's Eyes on US Forces: US officials said Chinese companies had been providing satellite imagery to Iran and that Washington had warned Beijing about the potential use of the imagery against US forces. The imagery was particularly significant because earlier US strikes had damaged Iranian radar, satellites and other surveillance equipment. US officials said Iran's ability to identify US targets appeared to improve during the summer. Iran also uses its own satellites, human sources and intelligence from Russia, according to US officials.

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China's Response: Chinese authorities denied the allegations and called for evidence. A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington accused critics of "maliciously" linking other countries to the conflict and said China's cooperation with Iran complies with international law. The report comes as tensions between the US and China remain high ahead of a planned Sept. 24 meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

How the Media Covered It: The Guardian (Left bias) put the report in the context of Iran's broader military capabilities, while questioning how much Chinese assistance contributed to the attack. The New York Post (Right) focuses more directly on the alleged China-Iran connection, the US troops killed, and previous reports of Chinese satellite support.

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