Loading...
Loading...
The schools ranked 14th globally in mathematics, 23rd in science and 33rd in reading, while recording significant improvements in average performance compared with the 2022 cycle. The results reflect the development of Sharjah’s private education system, strengthen its competitiveness on the global education map and represent progress towards the strategic goal of the Sharjah Private Education Authority to make Sharjah one of the world’s top 20 education systems in international standardised assessments.
The results demonstrate a qualitative improvement in the performance of students at Sharjah’s private schools and their ability to apply knowledge and skills in analysis, critical thinking, problem-solving and real-world situations, reflecting the development of educational practices across the emirate.
PISA 2025 results showed a marked improvement in the mathematics performance of students at Sharjah’s private schools. The average score increased by 35 points compared with 2022, reaching 481 points, placing the schools 14th globally among 91 participating countries and education systems.
In science, the average score rose by 36 points to 487, moving Sharjah’s private schools from 37th globally in 2022 to 23rd in 2025.
In reading, the average score increased by 13 points to 448, securing 33rd place globally and confirming that improvements extended across all three areas assessed by the study.
The results are particularly significant as Sharjah participated for the second time as a benchmark emirate in PISA. The assessment targets 15-year-old students and measures their knowledge and skills in mathematics, science and reading, focusing on their ability to analyse, think critically and apply knowledge to real-world situations rather than simply recall and memorise information.
A total of 5,843 students from 106 schools offering eight different curricula in Arabic and English participated in PISA 2025. This represented a 44% increase in the sample size compared with 2022, when 4,052 students from 95 schools took part.
The indicators of excellence were not limited to the overall average for Sharjah’s private schools but extended across a broad number of participating schools. More than 66 schools exceeded the OECD average in mathematics, while 50 schools surpassed it in science and 37 in reading.
These figures demonstrate the expanding base of high-performing schools across the emirate and indicate that the improvement recorded in PISA 2025 reflects a broader trend across the education system rather than the performance of a limited number of schools.
Dr Muhadditha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, said the emirate’s outstanding PISA results reflected the wise vision and unlimited support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has made education a strategic priority and a key pillar of sustainable development.
She said this support had contributed to empowering teachers through specialised training, developing academic systems and programmes, establishing supportive policies and building valuable partnerships, all of which had played a major role in the continued development of Sharjah’s private education system.
She added that the achievement was the result of sustained efforts to improve the quality of education in Sharjah, enhancing students’ readiness and developing their analytical, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to apply knowledge in different real-life situations.
Ali Al Hosani, Director-General of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, praised the leadership’s continued support, strategic vision and guidance, saying the results achieved by Sharjah’s private schools in PISA 2025 reflected the outcome of this integrated approach and demonstrated the emirate’s ability to achieve competitive results in international assessments.
He said the achievement was a reflection of the leadership’s vision of making education and human development a lasting priority, while investing in knowledge and skills as a foundation for progress and development.
Al Hosani noted that Sharjah’s private schools ranking 14th globally in mathematics, 23rd in science and 33rd in reading, alongside the increase in average scores, represented a significant achievement for the emirate.
He also highlighted the fact that more than 66 schools exceeded the OECD average in mathematics, 50 in science and 37 in reading, saying this demonstrated that the progress extended to a broad segment of schools and reflected the strength of the education system and the integration of efforts among its various components.
He said the results marked a new stage in the development of education, adding that the authority would continue empowering schools, developing educational practices and strengthening students’ critical-thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to apply knowledge.
Alongside celebrating the PISA 2025 results, Sharjah’s education system has begun preparations for the next cycle of the assessment in 2029, when the frequency of the study will change from every three years to every four years.
The 2029 cycle will focus on reading as the main assessment domain, while mathematics and science will be secondary domains. It will also include an innovative domain focusing on media literacy and artificial intelligence.
The PISA 2025 results provide Sharjah with a strong foundation for the next stage, demonstrating the ability of its private schools to achieve significant improvements in average scores and secure advanced global rankings, alongside a broader base of schools exceeding the OECD average across all three domains.
The results reaffirm Sharjah’s progress in developing its education system and demonstrate that investment in education quality and students’ skills is translating into globally competitive results, strengthening the readiness of its private schools for future international assessments.
For an optimal experience, please
rotate your device to portrait mode.
