Progress Report: Kosovo 15-year-olds 4.5 years behind Europeans in learning

The education section of the Kosovo Progress Report states that the results of the 2022 PISA test have shown that 15-year-olds from Kosovo are 4.5 years behind their peers in the EU in terms of learning. This is just one of the findings on education included in the document adopted on Tuesday by the European Commission. It also mentions the limited progress in early childhood education and regression in basic education

Early childhood education has shown little improvement, while basic education has regressed, the Kosovo Progress Report, published on Tuesday, found.

Based on this report, the budget for education and early childhood care has increased by 9 percent, but there has been a 4.7 percent decrease in funding for basic education during 2024, compared to the previous year.

“Following positive developments in early childhood education and care, the Ministry of Education has started implementing the mandatory preschool class (children aged 5) for the academic year 2024/2025. Although Kosovo is making efforts to improve the quality of basic/pre-university education, the implementation of the Kosovo education strategy for the years 2022-2026 is lagging behind. Funding for public basic education continues to decrease, falling by 4.7% from 2023 to 2024,” the European Commission (EC) Report on Kosovo said.

Education expert Xhavit Rexhaj has assessed that these results are a direct consequence of the level of investment.

"The priorities of a government, a ministry are shown by the funds that are placed in that sector or sub-sector. The funds that have been raised for the level of early childhood education have immediately shown an improvement in the sector. The decline in investments in primary education, the funds fall, the investments fall, the programs fall, which will also be expressed in the decline in the level," he said. 

The Report also states that the results of the 2022 PISA test have shown that 15-year-olds in Kosovo are 4.5 years behind their peers in the EU in terms of learning.

"Kosovo participated in TALIS 2024. Kosovo also participates in PISA 2025. The latest PISA 2022 results show that an average 15-year-old student in Kosovo is almost 4.5 years of learning behind their peers in the EU," it is specified in the report's section on education and culture. 

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And after this report, Rexhaj said the Ministry of Education (MASTI) should take concrete steps.

"This year, 2025, investment in education has increased slightly, 4.5, which is good. It should be 5 percent in 2026. This is the first action that should be taken. Second, instead of superficial planning that is being done through the strategic plan, concrete programs should be made for subsectors or segments of education. For example, a program for school reform," Rexhaj emphasized.

The Progress Report also highlights the low participation in education of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children. According to the document, only 31 percent of them reach upper secondary education, compared to the 87 percent average across the country.