US High School Scores Hit Record Lows; Vivek Ramaswamy Warns of Deepening Education Crisis

The learning crisis in the United States worsened this week, as new national test results showed a precipitous decline in basic math and reading skills among high-school seniors-the weakest performance recorded in nearly two decades. The results stirred widespread debate, including from Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who described the numbers as "the hard truth" and insisted it's up to the states to fix it.

The latest 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress gives a bleak picture of:

Only 22 percent of 12th graders show proficiency in math, the lowest score since the test was first administered in 2005.

45% of students score below the basic level, while 33% reach the basic mark.

Math scores have been sliding for years: 23 percent proficiency in 2005, briefly rising to 26 percent in both 2009 and 2013, falling back to 24 percent in 2019 before plunging this year.

Reading performance also fell to historic lows:

• 35% of seniors are proficient.
• 33% are at the basic level.
• 32% fall below basic.

Ramaswamy said the decline starts far sooner and cited statistics to back up that three out of four American eighth graders are not proficient in math, adding "the system does not recover in later grades."

India vs US: Learning gap widens

The worrisome US results have revived comparisons with India — which is continuing to record far higher success rates in core subjects right across Class 10 and 12 board examinations. Most major Indian school boards consistently report 70% or higher pass rates in mathematics and language subjects — though standards vary significantly across states.

Various structural differences stand out:

1. More Classroom Hours, Stronger Fundamentals: Students in India tend to spend more hours at school every week studying math, science, and language. The exam-centric system places a heavy emphasis on direct testing of core skills-a sharp contrast with the US, where broader curricula, variable state standards, and a lighter testing load often dilute subject-specific rigor.
2. According to ASER 2024,

• 98%+ of children between 6–14 years are enrolled in schools within India.
• 66-67% attend government schools.
• 30-31% are in private schools.

Experts say that broad access combined with structured instruction assures that Indian students maintain constant exposure to math and language fundamentals, something their American counterparts may not experience as consistently. 3. Both countries have some form of inequality, but the outcomes are different. While the quality of schooling may be very unequal, Indian students tend to get much stronger foundational teaching simply because their curriculum is more centralized and test-oriented. 

In the US, decentralization leads to uneven standards, putting less emphasis on basic skills mastery. Crisis with long-lasting impact Education experts say the collapse in senior-year proficiency comes with significant risks for the American workforce: fewer students will be prepared for the math and literacy demands of higher education, potentially weakening an already-strained pipeline into STEM careers. The Labor Department said the federal system has “failed students for many years,” a rare public admission of systemic breakdown.