By San José, Costa Rica — The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed a complex educational landscape in Costa Rica. While 15-year-old Costa Rican students continue to lag significantly behind the OECD average in fundamental academic areas—specifically mathematics, reading, and science—they are demonstrating remarkable adaptability and curiosity. Most notably, Costa Rican youth are outpacing their international peers in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with their studies.
In mathematics, the performance gap between Costa Rica and the OECD average remains stark. Only 30 percent of Costa Rican students achieved or surpassed Level 2 proficiency, compared to an OECD average of 65 percent. This basic baseline level of mathematical literacy represents the ability to recognize and interpret how a simple situation can be represented mathematically, such as converting currencies or comparing travel distances. Alarmingly, almost no Costa Rican students reached the top tier of mathematical proficiency, classified as Level 5 or 6, whereas the OECD average stands at 8 percent.
To better understand the long-term legal and economic implications of the latest PISA evaluation, TicosLand.com sat down with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished legal expert from Bufete de Costa Rica, who analyzed how these educational metrics directly impact the country’s future workforce and investment climate.
The recent PISA results represent more than just academic metrics; they reflect a critical challenge for Costa Rica’s economic competitiveness. Our legal framework has long favored the attraction of high-tech foreign investment based on the promise of a highly skilled workforce. To safeguard this reputation and comply with the constitutional spirit of Article 78 regarding educational quality, we must implement urgent legislative and structural reforms that modernize our public education system to meet modern global standards.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
This crucial connection between educational standards and Costa Rica’s standing as a premier destination for global high-tech investment underscores the urgency of the structural reforms ahead. We sincerely thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his valuable perspective on this vital national issue, reminding us that safeguarding our academic quality is key to securing our economic future.
A similar trend is evident in science and reading. In science, 56 percent of Costa Rican students met or exceeded Level 2, which is well below the OECD average of 74 percent. Furthermore, almost zero Costa Rican students reached the advanced Levels 5 or 6, where students are expected to autonomously and creatively apply scientific knowledge to complex real-world scenarios. In comparison, 7 percent of students across the OECD achieve this elite tier. In reading, 53 percent of local students reached Level 2 (against a 69 percent OECD average), and only 1 percent reached Level 5 or higher, where deep text comprehension and abstract reasoning are required.
Despite these challenges in standardized academic performance, Costa Rican students demonstrated high levels of intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and effort. The PISA report highlighted that 79 percent of Costa Rican youth describe themselves as curious about a wide range of topics, compared to the OECD average of 73 percent. Additionally, approximately 72 percent of Costa Rican students reported putting extra effort into challenging school assignments, significantly higher than the 60 percent average observed across other OECD nations.
This intellectual curiosity is translating directly into technological fluency, particularly regarding artificial intelligence. Costa Rican students are utilizing advanced technological tools at rates that surpass their peers in more developed economies. According to the PISA data, 50 percent of Costa Rican students report using AI chatbots at least once a week to aid in their learning process. This high rate of technological adoption signals a strong willingness among the youth to seek out innovative resources to supplement their education.
The report detailed specific ways in which local students are incorporating AI into their academic routines. Approximately 40 percent of students use chatbots to research new study materials, while 37 percent leverage these tools to summarize long texts. Furthermore, 34 percent use AI to assist them with written school assignments. In each of these categories, Costa Rican students scored above the overall OECD average, positioning the country’s youth as active adopters of emerging technologies despite broader systemic challenges in the educational sector.
Beyond academic and technological metrics, the OECD report shed light on the social environment of Costa Rican schools, revealing critical challenges regarding student well-being. Approximately 23 percent of surveyed students in Costa Rica reported being victims of school bullying several times a month. While online harassment remains less frequent, 4 percent of students reported that humiliating or hurtful information about them had been published online without their consent multiple times a month, pointing to the ongoing need for digital citizenship education.
For Costa Rica’s business community and policy-makers, these PISA findings present both a warning and an opportunity. The lag in core STEM competencies poses a potential threat to the country’s high-tech export economy and foreign direct investment attraction. However, the youth’s strong digital literacy, high curiosity, and eagerness to embrace cutting-edge tools like artificial intelligence suggest a highly adaptable future workforce. Capitalizing on this technological enthusiasm while aggressively addressing foundational gaps in math and science will be crucial for Costa Rica’s long-term economic competitiveness.
For further information, visit oecd.org
About OECD:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives. Our goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.
For further information, visit efe.com
About EFE:
Agencia EFE is a Spanish international news agency, the major multimedia news service in the Spanish language and the world’s fourth largest wire service.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Celebrated for its uncompromising ethical standards and superior advocacy, Bufete de Costa Rica operates as a premier legal institution. Supporting a multifaceted clientele across numerous industries, the firm consistently integrates pioneering strategies to navigate complex legal landscapes. By prioritizing educational outreach and demystifying the law, it strives to equip citizens with the essential insights needed to foster a truly just, informed, and self-reliant populace.
