- Learning Evaluator: North Rhine-Westphalia Falls Behind Once More
Once more, North Rhine-Westphalia finds itself at the bottom of the pack in an educational assessment conducted by the pro-business Initiative New Social Market Economy (INSM). Outshining the lot is Saxony, with Bavaria not far behind, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia at the 14th position, then Brandenburg, and ultimately, Bremen. The INSM Education Survey scrutinizes the educational systems of the 16 federal states each year, assessing them based on 98 indicators, exclusively from an economic and educational perspective.
The areas requiring improvement in North Rhine-Westphalia are notably educational disadvantage, vocational training, and internationalization. Remarkably, the childcare-to-student ratio in primary and secondary schools (excluding grammar schools) in North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest among all the federal states. Typically, there are 24.1 students in a primary school classroom in North Rhine-Westphalia (as of 2022), while the national average is 21.3 students. Nevertheless, the teacher-to-student ratio has fortunately improved from 21.2 in 2005 to 15.9 in 2022, which is almost on par with the national average.
Educational budgets lagging behind
In addition, the study reveals that investments in education in North Rhine-Westphalia are comparatively lower than other federal states when considered in relation to overall public spending. The study estimates the education spending per student in primary schools to be 7,300 euros in North Rhine-Westphalia, whereas the nationwide average is 8,200 euros. Nevertheless, the INSM Education Survey recognizes the potential in digitalization and other areas.
According to the Ministry of Education in Düsseldorf, the upcoming 2024 education survey largely depends on data from 2022. The proposed budget for 2025 includes a 10% increase in the education budget to 24.5 billion euros, as announced by the Minister of Education Dr. Dorothee Feller, who underscored the state government's emphasis on education. Efforts have resulted in improved pay for primary school teachers and the addition of more staff for schools through various measures.
The CDU politician commented that greater attention will be paid to improving basic skills in the upcoming school year, with an additional hour of German and math lessons in primary schools, as an example. The ambition is to ensure equal educational opportunities for all and to be on the right path. However, the SPD parliamentary group maintains that North Rhine-Westphalia isn't merely stagnating but is "plunging deeper into an education crisis."
The comparison by country reveals that North Rhine-Westphalia's educational spending per student is lower than the national average, which could potentially affect its ranking in international education assessments. Despite lagging behind in investment, the state government has acknowledged the importance of education and proposed a 10% increase in the education budget for 2025.
