Recommendation 22

HM Government Deferred

Financial literacy is not an option offered by the OECD in the current (2025) cycle of PISA as it has been replaced for this cycle with a foreign language assessment. Securing school participation in PISA can be difficult as the study places additional burdens on schools and pupils during pupils’ GCSE year. Participating in additional assessments risks increasing this burden and could affect our ability to secure sufficient schools to take part in the study. However, the Department for Education will consider participation in the next (2029) cycle after mid-2026, when more information on the study and its available options is provided by the OECD. This may include piloting the financial literacy assessment at the field trial stage to evaluate the feasibility of delivering this option, particularly the impact on securing school participation and the extent of the additional burden on schools and pupils. As education is devolved, the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for education, skills and family policies and education systems in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland respectively. However, engagement between governments allows us to share our collective knowledge and experience and work collaboratively on shared interests and challenges to deliver better outcomes for people across the UK. The Department for Education engages the devolved governments at ministerial and official level on a range of areas covering education, skills and family policies and will continue to do so. We are happy to include discussions about involvement in future PISA financial literacy assessments.