In 2025, students in the São Paulo state education system achieved the highest historical performance in mathematics for elementary education, as revealed by the latest results from the State of São Paulo School Performance Evaluation System (Saresp). Notably, there were significant improvements across all assessed grades, with the 9th year's proficiency in mathematics rising dramatically from 14.9% to 24.7% in the adequately and advanced levels. The average score for 9th-grade students also showed a promising increase, rising to 260.3 points, reflecting an 11.8-point increase from 2024 and a slight increase from the pre-pandemic average in 2019.

However, despite these achievements in mathematics, the proficiency levels in Portuguese for both 5th and 9th graders have not yet returned to what they were before the pandemic. While early years' results in Portuguese showed recovery to pre-COVID levels, the older students still face challenges, indicating a divide in educational recovery post-pandemic. The 5th-grade results remained particularly concerning, with a notable percentage of students demonstrating below-basic proficiency in the subject.

This imbalance raises significant questions about the overall educational strategy and support systems required to ensure a balanced recovery across subjects. While the advancements in mathematics are commendable, the lag in Portuguese proficiency illustrates the need for targeted interventions to address the ongoing effects of the pandemic on students' learning trajectories, particularly in language skills which are essential for overall academic success.