Education systems, not screens, drive PISA trends

Cross‑national PISA score patterns (for example England/Scotland’s early 2000s drop, Estonia and England’s relative stability, and East Asia’s resilience) line up better with differences in curricula, instructional methods, and tutoring cultures than with mere timing of television or phone adoption. That suggests policy responses should prioritize curriculum design, direct instruction, and phonics over technology bans or age‑gate fixes. — Shifting the frame from 'screens caused cognitive decline' to 'school design drives international-score divergence' changes which policies and political actors are blamed and which reforms are pursued.