PISA results shock employers and trade unions alike

The latest PISA study comes as a nasty surprise. Some of the results are worse than ever before. Voices from trade unions, industry and the IFO Institute are being raised. They are calling for far-reaching reforms. According to the "Verband Bildung und Erziehung", a "PISA jolt" is now needed.

Trade unions, employers' associations and the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research were shocked by the fact that German pupils performed worse than ever before in reading, mathematics and science in the latest PISA comparison. They are all calling for reforms to the education system, but see different causes for the drop in performance.

The education trade unions primarily blame the shortage of teachers for the poor performance of German pupils in the PISA study. "It is now becoming clear what a shortage means," explained Gerhard Brand, Federal Chairman of the Verband Bildung und Erziehung (VBE) trade union. "Substitute lessons and school absences have consequences."

Politicians should take this as a warning call to significantly increase their efforts to combat the shortage of teachers, Brand demanded. "We don't need a second PISA shock, we finally need a PISA jolt," said Brand. He sees further reasons for the poor results in the inadequate digitalization of schools, the pandemic-related school closures and the great social inequality in Germany.

The trade union "Education and Science" (GEW) described it as a "scandal" that the dependence of children and young people's school performance on their parents has not decreased for over 20 years. "For decades, Germany has had both an achievement problem and a glaring equity problem," explained GEW board member Anja Bensinger-Stolze. She also criticized a "blatant lack of staff". "Massive efforts" are needed to recruit many more teachers and specialists. "This issue belongs at the top of the agenda."

The deputy head of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Elke Hannack, spoke of "shocking results". The federal and state governments must "finally agree on effective steps for more teachers, more social work and more individual support for young people - immediately". The DGB is now calling on the federal government to set up a special infrastructure fund that can be used to "invest heavily in daycare centers and schools, among other things".

A "revolutionary new beginning" is needed

The employers' side was also shocked by the PISA results. The current findings document "the appalling results of education policy", emphasized employer president Rainer Dulger. "If those responsible do not act immediately, the loss of competence will be irreparable." Dulger called for "an almost revolutionary new start in our education system". Both the current educational standards and the training of teachers should be put to the test. The employer president called for secure digitalization and individual support for pupils. "We owe that to our children." Dulger emphasized: "These minds are the building material of our future and the engine of our prosperity."

The results are also a warning signal for the employers' association Gesamtmetall and the IG Metall trade union. "Schools must be given the priority that education deserves," emphasized the collective bargaining parties in the metal and electrical industry in a joint statement. "This applies to general education schools as well as vocational schools." The drop in performance in mathematical and scientific skills is particularly worrying. These are essential for the metal and electrical industry, which relies on technology leadership, whether in engineering studies or training for skilled jobs in industry.

The IFO Institute sees the PISA study as a "cause for great concern", said Ludger Wößmann, Head of the IFO Center for the Economics of Education. "In mathematics and reading, the performance of 15-year-olds is a whole school year behind where it was four years ago. There has never been such a decline in educational results. In the meantime, performance has even fallen below the level that triggered the first PISA shock a good 20 years ago." He goes on to say that, as a society, we must ensure that all children and young people are taught the basic skills they need. Because the decline in performance will cost Germany 14 trillion euros by the end of the century. He did not provide a calculation for the forecast.