Shameful!

Der Spiegel editorial by Silke Fokken “Shameful!”: The disastrous PISA exam results confirm: Germany is behaving irresponsibly towards its children and young people. The results show that the country’s 15-year-olds scored the lowest scores in German history in these tests. Their knowledge corresponds to around the 5th or 6th grade. The number of pupils failing basic tasks in maths, reading and science has increased significantly, raising concerns about their future participation in society. Hence the sharp criticism of Germany for failing to address the causes of this decline in performance.

The decline cannot be attributed solely to the COVID-19 pandemic, as other countries have managed to maintain their performance despite the pandemic. Furthermore, the decline in performance of German students preceded the pandemic.

The controversial topic of the impact of migration on these results is also discussed. Although the number of students with a migration background, which includes those with a foreign parent, has increased to 39% and they tend to perform lower in maths, the researchers argue that this should not be used to distract from the underlying problem of educational policy failures.

What is significant is the link between poor performance and socio-economic status, and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are at greater risk of falling behind. Germany’s failure to properly integrate first-generation immigrant students and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds into the education system is a significant factor in the declining PISA results.

The solution to the problem is suggested to be found in comprehensive educational and social policy reforms. These reforms should include improving the quality of teaching, early childhood education, language support, integrated day schooling and targeted support for disadvantaged children. These measures have not been sufficiently implemented in Germany. The PISA results are shameful proof of this.

The entire article can be read at the link https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/bildung/pisa-debakel-ein-beschaemend-eindeutiges-ergebnis-leitartikel-a-f644bb84-765a-46a2-9342-7760e6a9852d