Skip to content

Politicians discuss the consequences of the Pisa study

German pupils have performed poorly in the Pisa study. The causes and consequences are now being discussed. This is how politicians in Saxony-Anhalt assess the situation.

Eva Feußner (CDU), Minister of Education of Saxony-Anhalt during a press conference. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
Eva Feußner (CDU), Minister of Education of Saxony-Anhalt during a press conference. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Education - Politicians discuss the consequences of the Pisa study

Following the poor performance of German pupils in the Pisa study, Saxony-Anhalt's Education Minister Eva Feußner sees a need for action across society as a whole. We need to motivate pupils and teachers and not constantly talk everything down, said the CDU politician during a debate in the state parliament on Tuesday. In addition, the core subjects must be strengthened and the German language must be mastered. Pre-school language support is therefore important for a successful start to school.

The minister believes that not only schools but also parents need to take action. Feußner said that too little is spoken and too little is read in families. Responsibilities must be clearly assigned. "It may sound banal, but school is not really a social repair store." The Minister also pointed out that top countries in the Pisa test invested more in education than Germany.

In the latest Pisa study, 15 to 16-year-old pupils from Germany achieved the weakest performance values in reading, mathematics and science that have ever been measured for Germany as part of Pisa. The study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compares performance in industrialized countries.

Feußner also addressed the causes. She referred to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic with the school closures in Germany. The CDU politician said that these learning deficits needed to be made up. In addition, a significant proportion of pupils now come from an environment that does not support educational efforts or does not support them enough. Furthermore, the proportion of pupils with a migration background has increased.

One of the points of contention in the debate was the structured school system in Germany. Carsten Borchert (CDU) called for a binding school career recommendation so that pupils are sent to the appropriate school depending on their performance. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider (AfD) took a similar view and called for pupils to work harder. Jörg Bernstein (FDP) emphasized that children need role models, clear rules and guidelines.

The Left, SPD and Greens advocated longer joint learning. The early separation of children after elementary school was a German exception in Europe, said SPD parliamentary group leader Katja Pähle. Basic skills such as reading and writing should be strengthened and learning deficits made up for.

Thomas Lippmann, deputy leader of the Left Party parliamentary group, spoke of structural problems in the structured school system and in securing staffing levels. According to Lippmann, fewer and fewer people want to become teachers at secondary schools. "You can no longer hold on to school types where hardly anyone wants to work."

Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz (Greens) also called for longer joint learning. Primary school should be extended from four to six years, she said. In addition, pupils with a migration background should be better supported with language training.

Read also:

Source: www.stern.de

Comments

Latest