The education and training monitor 2018, the Initiative New Social market economy almost everywhere in Germany, the deterioration of education. Especially the digitalization of concern, the employer-funded study.
“There is a lack of technique and concepts”, the authors of the education and training monitor 2018 summarize the status of digitisation in German schools. In the study, which was prepared by the Institute of German economy (IW) in Cologne, Germany for the Initiative New Social market economy (INSM), the authors of a digital gap. In international comparison, German schools are mediocre in the use of computers and the digital competences of pupils and teachers, in the best case. And also when you look at the quality of education overall, the Report paints a rather gloomy picture.
Only Schleswig-Holstein and Berlin to improve their education system
In almost all länder, there have been in comparison to the previous year, a significant drop in the quality of education, says the money for the metal and electrical industry – funded study. “Only Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein have improved their results,” says study leader Professor Axel Plünnecke.
Study leader Axel Plünnecke by the Institute of German economy in Cologne
Especially in the areas of school quality, Integration, and the reduction of educational poverty, the results have deteriorated significantly. So fourth graders cut, therefore, in English and mathematics is currently worse than in the previous years. In addition, the school dropout rate has become higher again. The authors see in the influx of refugees as the main reason. And the proportion of leavers without a qualification is particularly increased among young people of foreign origin – from 11.8 percent in 2015 to 14.2 percent in 2016. “The drop-out rate among foreigners is increasing, and the formation of poverty is on the increase,” says Hubertus Pellengahr, managing Director of the INSM. There is a need, therefore, a new educational departure for better opportunities.
In the Federal States comparison showed significant differences but. The most powerful educational systems have, therefore, Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg and the Saarland. Berlin is not for the first time in ten years, in the Ranking of the education and training monitor most countries, but is now the place 13. Particularly positive in Berlin, it is striking that just in the capital, the share of early school leavers has declined, particularly in the population group with a migration background. In addition, Berlin has strengthened the teaching of foreign languages in vocational schools.
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What’s missing: a digital map for Germany’s schools
In the case of the digitisation of schools in the States of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg will have the nose in front. Just as regards the data situation, the school system in Germany but is still Terra incognita. “We don’t know how well schools are across the Board with digital infrastructure equipped,” said study leader Plünnecke. In addition, it is lacking especially in the case of the teachers of digital competences and a targeted training. And Hubertus Pellengahr adds a little flattering, that the “mentality of the teachers” hampering the digitisation of schools, perhaps even a failure might be. The state of Hamburg praised the authors, in particular, that it had introduced a consistent performance-based competition between the students. Students are faced in all stages of their school career, with comparison to work. The strength of the idea competition, said of the study’s creators.
The funding gaps are huge
The study is based on 93 indicators, including the description of school infrastructure and aspects such as the student-teacher ratio in schools. However, the study does hardly own data, but gathers current figures of the Federal Statistical office and other sources.
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On the question of the financial needs in the education sector the results of the INSM and the other institutes do, though, differ widely. The INSM-education and training monitor sees a need for investment of twelve billion euros a year, which would be for further reforms are needed. Other studies come up with other assumptions to entirely different results. The state-owned development Bank KfW reckoned in a further investigation, the missing alone in school remediation measures are currently around 48 billion euros. If we add to that according to KfW, the pent-up demand for day-care centres, is likely to come once there is an increased demand of almost eight billion euros on top of it. How high is the need for investment in the education sector is, therefore, in fact, depends on the orientation of a study.
The aim of Plünnecke describes thus: It is going to wear an “education-economic perspective” in the debate. “We look at the extent to which the education system contributes to the prosperity,” says Plünnecke. INSM-critics of the results of the study hold for the one-sided attempt to shake up the education system alone, according to market economic rules.