Rewritten Article:
Karin Prien, CDU's Federal Vice President and Education Minister for Schleswig-Holstein, has expressed an "urgent need for action" following the dismal PISA results, where Germany scored low in reading, mathematics, and science. These results mirror findings from recent national studies, Prien shared on Deutschlandfunk radio. While the news isn't surprising, it's far from encouraging, she added.
The PISA results, published on Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed Germany recording its lowest-ever scores for these subjects within the PISA framework. The educational community is concerned about the potential implications of these results for Germany's future competitiveness and social cohesion, particularly in regions like Schleswig-Holstein.
To address this issue, Prien emphasized the importance of focusing on the fundamentals, particularly at nursery schools. By investing in these early learning stages, she believes there's a better chance of driving higher educational success rates.
In response, the Schleswig-Holstein state government has agreed to implement enhanced language support and additional measures in "perspective schools"—those catering to students from challenging socio-environmental backgrounds. By prioritizing these schools, the government hopes to provide a more supportive learning environment.
As Prien also suggested on Deutschlandfunk radio, nationwide screening at all school locations and targeted interventions for reducing the correlation between background and educational success could further improve educational outcomes. Strengthening math lessons and prioritizing better teacher training are also essential to address Germany's educational challenges.
Prien had already expressed the need for transforming Germany from a welfare state to a "social education state," promoting education across all age groups in both federal and state budgets, prior to the PISA results.
Enrichment Insights:
- Data-driven school development, focusing on small data and subsequent vision work for school leaders, can improve school performance.
- Project weeks aimed at hands-on learning provide valuable educational experiences by integrating subjects such as STEM, arts, and language arts into engaging projects.
- Hybrid learning concepts incorporating innovative teaching methods, like blended learning and flipped classrooms, can make learning more personalized and engaging for students.
- Improving school infrastructure and IT support, as well as promoting AI expertise systems, help ensure that technology is effectively used in the classroom to enhance education.
- Regional cooperation networks between schools can collaborate on inter-school issues, such as career orientation programs, to share best practices and overcome challenges.
- Establishing evaluation support networks can help schools evaluate their performance internally, leading to continuous improvement.
These strategies can contribute to improved education systems, helping to address some of the problems contributing to poor PISA scores. While these strategies don't specifically align with Karin Prien's proposals, they can be considered as relevant insights for improving education systems.
