By Mohd Khairul Ramli
The 2022 PISA results are a stark reminder that education, already facing challenges, has been dealt a devastating blow. Across the board, scores in reading, math, and science have declined, painting a picture not just of learning loss, but of a systemic malaise demanding immediate and critical attention. While the pandemic undoubtedly played a role, attributing the decline solely to school closures and online learning is a dangerous oversimplification. Instead, we must see these results as a symptom of deeper, pre-existing issues that the pandemic merely exacerbated.