Rethinking German Education

The bubble burst last year. For years, Germany had been perceived as a country with one of Europe's best education systems. But in December 2001, Germans were faced with the hard facts: A major international study by the OECD showed that German students were a lot less qualified than their European counterparts.

The controversial debate that followed the report soon made education a central issue in German politics.

Now a new study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that Germany is far from achieving this goal.

Earlier this year, the German Chancellor held a landmark speech on education, calling it "the central social question of this century". Education soon became a key issue in this year's election campaign, with Schröder's Education Minister Edelgard Buhlmann pledging to make Germany one of the top five countries in the world in student performance rankings within 10 years.

This week, the OECD presented its annual survey "Education at a Glance". The report takes a close look at the performance of education systems in all OECD countries. The results showed that Germany spends far less on Kindergartens and primary schools than its European neighbours, and that primary school pupils spend a lot less time at school than their European counterparts.

Germany in the bottom third

These results correspond to last year’s shocking PISA study.

The so-called PISA - Program for International Student Assessment – study compares the quality of education in different industrialized countries, and is published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development every year.

In last year's report, students from Finland, Korea, Canada and Japan ranked top of the list, while Germany scored well below the OECD average, joining Italy, Hungary and Poland in the bottom third. Against German expectations it showed that German students had poorer reading skills, and less knowledge of mathematics than in other countries.

The results sparked a controversial debate on education reform in Germany, with critics, including the teachers' union GEW, calling for more money and more lessons for Germany's pupils.

These demands are expected to become louder with the information revealed in the OECD's latest survey.

Earlier this year, a study commissioned by Germany's teachers' union showed that more than half of all Germans support the introduction of more all-day schools. Currently, most German pupils leave school around midday.

In June, the chancellor pledged some 4 billion euro to create new all-day schools within the next four years. But will this solve Germany's education malaise?

All-day school key issue

The introduction of more all-day schools across Germany is an important issue for poorer families, as parents would be free to work if their children were in school for longer.

But there is a lot more to Germany's education troubles, as the recent OECD study shows: Compared to the OECD average of 64 percent, only 37 percent of German pupils leave school with the necessary qualification for further education. Every year only 19 percent of Germans of the same age leave university with a degree compared to an OECD average of 26 percent.

Education Minister Buhlmahn was clear on how bad Germany regards the situation. “We cannot accept" the high number of pupils who leave school before gaining a degree, she said on Tuesday.

More quality

"We need more quality in school lessons, more people with Abitur, (Germany’s final school degree) and more with qualified education degrees", Buhlmann said.

Warning that an industrial country like Germany could not afford a shortage in academics, she said that young and qualified people should be assisted in gaining a place at university and that primary school education should be improved. "Our children will only reach university if we manage to support them early, and individually".

But there is still much to be done. In a country low in natural resources, the export of high quality products and technical knowledge is a key to the Germany’s success on the global market. Maintaining the high level of training and efficiency among Germany's scientists, academics and engineers is vitally important.

The results of the PISA study proved a deep shock to Germany, which had up to then been proud of its educational system, and had regarded it as one of the best in the world. Education Minister Buhlmahn underlined the importance of the system following the dismal results of the new OECD study again this week: "A good education is for our country as important as the air we breathe".