Drop in Rank for Thuringia's Education System
Thuringia's education system took a dip, dropping from the top spot to the second-best in the INSM's employer-friendly scheme. The federal state is now in fourth place, slipping from third in 2021.
Germany's Saxony and Bavaria are hot on the heels of the leader, with Hamburg close behind. At the opposite end, Bremen lingers at the bottom of the list, followed by Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The 98-indicator assessment of federal states' education systems, focusing on factors from an education-economic perspective, evaluates indicators like educational poverty alleviation, prosperity promotion, skilled labor fostering, growth nurturing, and equality in education opportunities. It also assesses education system permeability and the quality of schools. Factors like education expenditure, class sizes, and key ratios are under consideration.
Berlin marked the most significant growth since last year, rising from 15th to 12th place. Over the past decade, Saarland and Hamburg have witnessed the most significant improvements.
This year's Education Monitor, now in its 21st edition, will reveal detailed results on Tuesday, including data for each federal state. According to Axel Plünnecke, study leader and education economist from the IW, the nation has shown remarkable global improvements in internationalization, support infrastructure, and care conditions over the past decade. However, challenges in areas like integration, school quality, and educational poverty have escalated considerably.
This decline in Thuringia's education ranking may be a sign of trouble, but learning from successful strategies of nations like the Netherlands could provide valuable insights. Although the Netherlands' education system has been steadily improving, it continues to focus on addressing educational poverty through unique strategies.
For instance, nearly 70% of schools in the Netherlands are governed by private school boards, yet all receive equal government funding, promoting diversity in education and potentially leading to improved academic outcomes. The Dutch education system also endeavors to reduce achievement gaps by providing additional resources and support to disadvantaged students and schools.
The Netherlands' government targets international student recruitment to counteract skills shortages and demographic declines. They have refined recruitment strategies and promote regional retention to achieve their goals.
The Netherlands Fellowship Programme is another initiative that offers fellowships to professionals from developing countries, aiming to bolster skilled manpower capacity in education institutions and communities. In addition, a workshop at TU Delft tasks students with designing low-cost, zero-carbon housing solutions for marginalized communities, demonstrating a commitment to improving living conditions and reducing educational poverty.
While Thuringia may be struggling in the rankings now, these forward-thinking strategies from the Netherlands could provide potential solutions for combating educational poverty. Collaboration between Thuringia and educational institutions in the Netherlands looks promising in addressing these challenges and maintaining Germany's global educational leadership.
