To gauge a country’s future strength, we often look at its factories, armed forces and exports. Yet classrooms are among the places that determine whether those strengths can endure. Children who develop reading comprehension, problem-solving skills and scientific reasoning today will shape the productive capacity of tomorrow.
The French newspaper Le Figaro’s examination of Türkiye’s PISA performance is striking in this respect. According to the results reported by the newspaper, Türkiye outperforms France in mathematics, science and reading. Nor can its progress be explained solely by declining performance elsewhere: Türkiye’s own scores have also improved, reaching 472 in reading, 462 in mathematics and 494 in science.
These results are a reminder that no country has a permanent claim to educational success. Established institutions and a strong educational tradition can offer considerable advantages. But past prestige alone cannot guarantee the success of today’s students. For Türkiye, the results suggest that investment in the right areas can pay off.
The Reforms Behind the Progress
Le Figaro attributes Türkiye’s success to a series of measures introduced over many years. Expanded access to education, support for disadvantaged schools, stronger teacher training and a greater emphasis on skills in the curriculum all feature among the explanations offered. Restrictions on mobile phone use are also highlighted as a way to protect students’ attention.
The lesson is clear: lasting educational progress depends on how reforms translate into classroom practice. The time teachers can devote to their students, schools’ access to the support they need and children’s engagement in learning are what turn broad ambitions into everyday results.
Phone restrictions should be viewed in the same light. Removing a device from the classroom does not, on its own, improve education. The aim should be to direct students’ attention towards meaningful learning. Knowing when to put technology aside is as much an educational issue as knowing how to use it.
Of course, positive results do not mean every problem has been solved. The article also highlights high absenteeism and shortages of non-teaching education staff. Türkiye’s challenge is therefore to ensure that these gains reach more students and stand the test of time.
Outperforming France is a notable achievement. But defining Türkiye’s educational ambitions by another country’s performance would place limits on its own potential. A more meaningful benchmark is whether every child can access a good education, regardless of birthplace or family income. The true depth of this success will become clear when the schools most in need of support advance alongside the strongest performers.
At this point, the discussion extends beyond education to the economy, science policy and the brain drain. Unless well-educated young people have opportunities to conduct research, start businesses and see their work properly rewarded, the potential developed at school may never translate fully into national progress.
This is where Türkiye’s greatest opportunity lies: connecting educational gains with universities, research centres and high-value-added production. The country’s place in tomorrow’s world will be shaped by the opportunities it creates for the young people in its classrooms today.
