A recent report by the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveals a mixed picture for education in Costa Rica. While 15-year-old students fall below the organization’s average in mathematics, reading, and science, they stand out positively in their curiosity, academic effort, and frequent use of artificial intelligence tools for their studies.

In science, 56% of students reached or exceeded level 2 (compared to the OECD’s 74%), but almost none reached the maximum levels 5 or 6, where the international average is 7%. A wider gap is seen in mathematics, where only 30% reached level 2 (compared to 65% in the OECD) and practically no students placed in the upper levels, where the developed countries’ average reaches 8%. In reading, 53% surpassed level 2 and only 1% reached the higher tier (6% in the OECD).

Despite these academic challenges, the study highlights important attitudinal and technological strengths:

• Curiosity and Effort: 79% of Costa Rican youth described themselves as curious about various topics (surpassing the OECD’s 73%), and 72% indicated they put in extra effort when facing challenging tasks (above the 60% international average).
• Artificial Intelligence Adoption: 50% of students use AI chatbots at least once a week to support their learning. Key uses include researching new study material (40%), summarizing texts (37%), and assisting with written assignments (34%), all figures above the OECD average.
• Social Well-being Challenges: The report also noted that 23% of students reported experiencing bullying several times a month, while cyberbullying affected 4% of those surveyed.

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