Unbelievable! - What Leading Politicians Have to Say About the PISA Scandal
The recent Pisa study reveals: Disastrous education system in our schools! Five days a week, our children attend lessons where they fail to learn the basics: Reading, writing, math, science.
Result (as of Wednesday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the publication of the Pisa study): The infamous "sentence with X" - scrapped!
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD) didn't utter a single word about the educational catastrophe in the country he leads by midday on St. Nicholas Day. Perhaps, he should've read out a statement at home: his wife Britta Ernst (62, SPD) served as state education minister from 2014 to 2023 - first in Schleswig-Holstein, then in Brandenburg. This means she's now directly accountable. Predicament: complicated.
At lunchtime, his spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit (51), had no other choice: he was questioned at the government press conference about what the chancellor had to say about the educational disaster in the 'smart country'. Answer: "The results are disconcerting."
Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (54, Greens) couldn't think of a thing to say about a workforce lacking qualified training personnel, even the day before the 2nd anniversary of the traffic light coalition agreement ("Future Coalition" of 7.12.2021). But well, his four sons escaped the German academic slip-up by attending Danish schools in Schleswig-Holstein and while studying in Denmark. As a children's author, it should be close to his heart that children can read books.
Christian Lindner (44), Finance Minister and FDP leader in the traffic light coalition, also played the spokesman on the subject of PISA, saying nothing. At least Lindner, proud holder of the NRW A-levels, should be interested in better schools, as he's planning a house full of children ("two, three or four girls or boys"). Lindner is currently honing his skills to get a constitutionally compliant state budget - after two years, that would be a first! A mountainous pile of homework.
Not a word from Scholz, Habeck or Lindner on PISA - despite the traffic light leaders usually commenting on (almost) everything.
The red chancellor is currently engaging:
▶︎ Meeting with Putin buddy Lula from Brazil ("We are united by climate protection ...")
▶︎ Climate summit in Qatar ("Putting the world on a 1.5-degree path")
▶︎ An appearance at the "German Dream Award" (in German: Deutscher Traumpreis)
The Green Vice-Chancellor is among others:
▶︎ Poor economic figures ("Incoming orders in the manufacturing sector dropped 3.7 percent")
▶︎ A "Maritime Status Conference" ("Full steam ahead into the future")
ζ︎ An EU decision ("Hydrogen ramp-up reaches new phase")
and our children are currently ill-prepared for this Habeck press release: "Germany and UNIDO drive decarbonization with Partnership for Net Zero Industry and Global Matchmaking Platform as part of the Climate Club " (in business German: "Deutschland und UNIDO treiben die Dekarbonisierung mit der Partnership for Net Zero Industry und der Global Matchmaking Platform im Rahmen des Climate Club voran").
And the liberal budget minister announces:
"The federal government has decided to mint a 2-euro commemorative coin 'Saarland'."
Well, that's all you need to know ...
Read also:
- Despite the PISA study's criticism of the German education system's quality, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD) remained silent on the issue, as his long-term Education Minister Britta Ernst (62, SPD) was directly responsible.
- Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (54, Greens) was unable to comment on the education crisis, regardless of his four sons escaping the German academic slip-up by attending Danish schools in Schleswig-Holstein and while studying in Denmark.
- Finance Minister Christian Lindner (44, FDP) also remained silent on the PISA study, despite being responsible for planning a house full of children and understanding the importance of better schools.
- As the traffic light coalition's leading figures remained silent on the PISA study, critics have questioned their commitment to improving education in Germany, particularly in light of the Traffic Light Coalition agreement's emphasis on education and training.
Source:
Enrichment Insights
The PISA school study is a globally recognized assessment of education systems, focusing on 15-year-old students' abilities in math, science, and reading. The most recent study focused on digital competencies and the evaluation of online information.
The findings highlight the struggles of German students to critically assess online information and their teachers' digital competencies. These results indicate potential weaknesses in the education system, leading to questions regarding the effectiveness of current policies and the need for enhancements.
In terms of the wider context, these findings may establish a focus on education reform, digital literacy, and technology integration within the German political agenda. With the upcoming government elections, significant shifts in policies and commitments to education and technology are highly likely.
