Sobering results
"In educational politics, you need remarkable staying power", says Ms. Schavan.
If this had been a test, the result would be clearly disappointing for Germany's educational system: "Not very satisfactory" (3.7 on the German grading scheme) is how 500,000 participants in a huge educational online survey ranked their nurseries, preschools, schools and universities overall. A slap in the face of those responsible for education in the country.
Meeting with Federal Minister Annette Schavan
In Berlin, Roland Berger, Germany's BILD tabloid and Bertelsmann Foundation presented the results of their largest ever educational survey (entitled "Germany wants to know") to Germany's top educator, Federal Minister Annette Schavan and the Press.
Large parts of the German population have been discontent with how education is being handled in the country for a long time. Ms. Schavan was still surprised to see how vigorously they rejected some of the main pillars of the German educational system.
Discontent with educational patchwork system
One of those pillars is Germany's "patchwork" system of education, in which each of the 16 federal states is allowed to create its own rules and shape its educational landscape as pleases the government of the day.
As the survey shows, nine Germans out of ten scorn the complexity and inconsistencies resulting from this patchwork approach. They would prefer a unified approach to education, especially at school level. As Annette Schavan emphasized, Germany "not only needs unified educational standards but also standardized curricula."
Meeting with Federal Minister Annette Schavan
In Berlin, Roland Berger, Germany's BILD tabloid and Bertelsmann Foundation presented the results of their largest ever educational survey (entitled "Germany wants to know") to Germany's top educator, Federal Minister Annette Schavan and the Press.
Large parts of the German population have been discontent with how education is being handled in the country for a long time. Ms. Schavan was still surprised to see how vigorously they rejected some of the main pillars of the German educational system.
Discontent with educational patchwork system
One of those pillars is Germany's "patchwork" system of education, in which each of the 16 federal states is allowed to create its own rules and shape its educational landscape as pleases the government of the day.
As the survey shows, nine Germans out of ten scorn the complexity and inconsistencies resulting from this patchwork approach. They would prefer a unified approach to education, especially at school level. As Annette Schavan emphasized, Germany "not only needs unified educational standards but also standardized curricula."
"Not very satisfactory" is how 500,000 participants ranked Germany's educational system.
Higher taxes acceptable
Dissatisfaction with the system is such that 75% of the respondents would even be willing to pay higher taxes to improve the situation. Not that the respondents are overly confident that politicians could do the trick: An overwhelming majority think that German politicians lack the courage to bring about real and lasting change in education.
Staying power needed
Yesterday, 30 respondents, who had been invited to Berlin, were given the chance to take their educational worries directly to the Federal Minister. But Schavan had to disappoint those who wanted quick changes: "In educational politics, you need remarkable staying power," she said.
Roland Berger Partner Torsten Oltmanns pointed out that educational success in Germany still depends too much on social and ethnic backgrounds. "If our educational system can't help young people move up the social ladder, our society will continue to drift apart – with unforeseeable consequences".
The survey is not statistically representative but draws its impact from the very large number of people who participated. It included around 30 questions covering all areas of education from preschool to lifelong learning.
Dissatisfaction with the system is such that 75% of the respondents would even be willing to pay higher taxes to improve the situation. Not that the respondents are overly confident that politicians could do the trick: An overwhelming majority think that German politicians lack the courage to bring about real and lasting change in education.
Staying power needed
Yesterday, 30 respondents, who had been invited to Berlin, were given the chance to take their educational worries directly to the Federal Minister. But Schavan had to disappoint those who wanted quick changes: "In educational politics, you need remarkable staying power," she said.
Roland Berger Partner Torsten Oltmanns pointed out that educational success in Germany still depends too much on social and ethnic backgrounds. "If our educational system can't help young people move up the social ladder, our society will continue to drift apart – with unforeseeable consequences".
The survey is not statistically representative but draws its impact from the very large number of people who participated. It included around 30 questions covering all areas of education from preschool to lifelong learning.
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