The PISA report reveals a bleak outlook for German education after the coronavirus pandemic. 15-year-olds in Germany struggled more in math, reading, and science compared to 2018, according to the latest OECD study.
The pandemic-induced school closures are one reason contributing to these lowered scores, but the study also confirmed a downward trend that began in 2012. Generally, Germany's results remain close to the average OECD score, but they trail behind education powerhouses like Singapore, Japan, and Estonia.
The PISA study involves 15-year-olds from 81 countries, conducting tests every three years since 2000. In 2022, the testing process evolved to mainly computer-based. Students answer multiple-choice questions and participate in socio-economic, learning environment, and computer use surveys.
Paradoxically, even though Germany's mean scores have dropped significantly, the performance gap between the top 10% and bottom 10% of students remains stable. A more challenging scenario unfolds when comparing 2012 results, as the number of learners falling below the basic competency level (level 2) increased by 11% in mathematics and reading literacy, and 12% in science.
The latest findings add to a growing concern worldwide that the pandemic might have long-term negative impacts on students' learning outcomes. Recent results show global students shed approximately three-quarters of a year of learning in mathematics. Select countries, like Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, managed to maintain high math performance through the pandemic.
In the United States, 15-year-olds lagged behind some industrialized democracies due to less impressive math scores, including Germany. However, the U.S. experienced less academic learning loss compared to faster school-opening European countries.
As the world gradually adapts to this post-pandemic reality, understanding the implications and potential uphill battle in education is vital to ensure long-term success for future generations.
