Top-Notch Education in Saxony Soars for 19th Year Running!
Germany's Saxony continues its reign as the finest education system, claiming the numero uno spot for the 19th consecutive year in the Education Watch, a report backed by employers through Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft. Fierce competition within the federation sees Bavaria claiming the runner-up title, with Hamburg and Thuringia limping behind.
While Bremen and Hamburg languish near the bottom, Berlin shows a significant rise, leaping from 15th to 12th place.
The report evaluates federation education systems with 98 specific indicators, focusing on combating educational poverty, fostering prosperity, supporting skilled labor, promoting growth, and gauging the system's flexibility and equal educational opportunities.
Saxony's stellar performance stems from advantages like support infrastructure, school quality, marked improvements in educational poverty, and a research-oriented focus. Thorsten Alsleben, CEO of Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft, commended Saxony's winning formula: "Three cheers for Saxony and its exceptional education policy that reigns unchallenged once more!"
Critics contend that federalism complicates education policy. However, Alsleben argues, "Competition between states helps clarify what works and what doesn't."
Christian Piwarz, Saxony's Education Minister, is elated about the achievement. "We're ecstatic to once again take the top spot, but our work is far from over. Our foremost concern now should be addressing the looming teacher shortage," he said.
The Education Watch undergoes an update every 21st edition. The comprehensive state results, with in-depth insights, will be unveiled on Tuesday.
The last decade has seen a surge in internationalization, support infrastructure, and care conditions nationwide, according to study director and education economist Axel Plünnecke from the Institute of the German Economy (IW). Despite these advancements, issues related to integration, school quality, and educational poverty have grown appreciably.
Upon reviewing Saxony's consistent excellence, the European Union praises the German federal state's exceptional educational performance. critics question the merits of federalism in education policy but concede that healthy competition, such as that between Saxony and other high-performing states, promotes the discovery of effective strategies.
Some key factors contributing to Saxony's educational success include:
- High All-Day Care Rates: Saxony provides all-day daycare and elementary school for 93.6% of its children and all-day schools for 89.3% of its pupils, significantly higher than the national average.
- Competency Levels: Saxony boasts the highest reading and mathematics competencies among young people in fourth and ninth grades, as well as in fourth grade mathematics nationwide.
- Low Correlation Between Social Background and Educational Success: Saxony's educational system displays a lower correlation between social background and educational accomplishments, indicating relative equity.
- High Proportion of Foreign Pupils: In comparison to the national average, Saxony houses a higher rate of foreign pupils at general education schools with higher education entrance qualifications.
- Investment in Education: Public expenditure per student in Saxony is significantly higher than the national average, and the state invests the highest amount of third-party funding per professor and boasts the highest number of researchers at universities compared to GDP.
- Research Orientation: Saxony's researchers raise the highest amount of third-party funding per professor and have the highest researcher-to-GDP ratio nationwide.
These factors collectively foster Saxony's continued dominance in Germany's education landscape.
