PISA RESULTS SHOW DEEP INEQUALITY FOR AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS

9 September 2026

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results released today have provided a stark picture of the inequality present in Australia’s education system.

The OECD’s PISA assessment measures the ability of 15-year-olds to apply their knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics and science to real-world challenges.

Australia continues to perform above the OECD average, however AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said inequity in learning environments and infrastructure, teacher workforce shortages and diversity are creating barriers for some students.

"It's important to look beyond simplistic rankings with PISA,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“It is a significant data set that shows the strong connection between prioritising equity in education and its link to educational outcomes for students.”

“These figures show Australia has an unacceptably large gap between socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged students, with a higher proportion of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds attending public schools.”

The Australian Council for Educational Research, who manages PISA in Australia, has reported that differences between school sectors become substantially smaller when taking differences in socio-economic background into account.

PISA Key findings:

Inequity in learning environments and infrastructure.

  • 24% of students were in schools where a lack of physical infrastructure was perceived to hinder instruction.
  • 9% of students in Australia attended schools whose principals reported that a lack of educational material

Teacher workforce shortages

  • 49% of students in Australia were in schools whose principals reported that instruction was hindered by a lack of teaching staff (OECD average 39%)
  • Teacher shortages are more than three times higher in public low SES schools (74%) compared to high SES schools (20%)

Diversity of student cohort

  • A higher proportion of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds attended public schools (34%) compared with Catholic schools (17%) and independent schools (13%).
  • 14% of Australian students are first generation immigrants, compared to 8% across the OECD on average.

AI and Chatbot tools

  • Australian students are more likely to be learning to assess AI content in class (88%) compared to the OECD average of 63%
  • In Australia, 50% of students reported using AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the PISA results demonstrate why investment must be directed towards measures that improve educational equity, teacher and student wellbeing and student outcomes.

“Teachers are dealing with increasing complexity in classrooms, with growth in inequity and students with diverse needs requiring additional supports,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“We see countries like Estonia that prioritise school funding, respect teachers and teaching as a profession, and show a strong commitment to public education, have made significant advances in their results.”

“Australia’s education system must meet the needs of every child regardless of their background or circumstances. All governments must ensure that public school investment is properly targeted, students get the teaching and learning support they need and teachers get the support and respect they deserve.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Kylie Jensen 0402 298 728