Dear Editor:
In PISA 2025, Chile's reading score dropped by 12 points and fell 25 points below the OECD average.
This data is concerning for more than just the number itself. When reading skills decline, other subjects—such as math and science—tend to suffer as well. It’s not that reading explains everything, but it is the foundation for understanding instructions, interpreting problems, connecting information, and evaluating evidence.
That is why it is worth looking further back. Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Estonia, and the United Kingdom ranked among the top ten systems in all three areas. When the students who took the PISA 2025 assessment were between 1 and 6 years old, those countries did not follow a single model of early childhood education, but they did share a recognizable framework based on high participation in early childhood education, clear curricula, well-prepared educators, and a seamless transition to elementary school.
In 2012, enrollment rates for 3-year-old children ranged from 78% in Japan to 93% in the United Kingdom. In Chile, the rate was only 45%. These data do not prove that early childhood education alone accounts for the PISA results. They do show, however, that reading skills begin to develop long before first grade.
The answer is not to introduce the syllabary early or to make early childhood education more school-like. The key lies in strengthening preschool education so that children can converse, listen to stories, expand their vocabulary, and play with sounds and words. If we want to improve reading skills, we must start where the foundations are laid.
María de la Luz González
Executive Director
Oportunidad Educational Foundation