Share this Story : PNI Atlantic News Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Grant Frost: Nova Scotia government silence on strong student test showing speaks volumes

Education system continues to move in positive direction

“(These results) are a cause for alarm, especially given the dramatic declines since 2015.”

Subscribe now to access this story and more:

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.

Access additional stories every month

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting community

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

This rather bleak commentary on Canada’s education system was recently provided to the CBC by fellow educational commentator Paul W. Bennett. Bennett was again expressing his concern that if things do not change in public education in Canada, our students are doomed to fall further behind.

At issue was the recent release of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. The test, issued by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), is distributed every three years to participating nations across the globe.

This year, 83 countries participated, with over 760,000 secondary students writing the test, administered between April and June of 2025. In Canada, about 25,000 students from 10 provinces took part, including kids from several of our own, randomly selected high schools.

As is often the case with PISA, the focus of news outlets was on the final score and how well students in one jurisdiction have done compared to those in another. Headlines on the results often include phrases like “sharp decline” or “record lows,” raising eyebrows and alarm bells about the state of public education. This has been the case pretty much since the inception of the PISA........

© PNI Atlantic news