PISA study 2025: Germany’s education in free fall – What’s missing now!

PISA study 2025: Germany’s education in free fall – What’s missing now!

The PISA study has been an important benchmark for assessing the quality of education systems worldwide for 25 years. This international comparative study, initiated by the OECD, sends clear signals about the educational performance of young people and raises questions about justice and equal opportunities in the respective school systems. The next main examination will take place in April and May 2025, during which tens of thousands of 15-year-old students will complete tasks in reading, mathematics and natural sciences. The results of this study are often the starting point for lively discussions about educational equality and school quality in Germany and beyond uni-bamberg.de reported.

In an interview, Prof. Dr. Cordula Artelt, chair of longitudinal educational research at the University of Bamberg, emphasizes the international comparability of the PISA study as an integral part of her political motivation. Artelt was involved in the first PISA study in 2000 and has contributed to various reports since then. What is particularly noteworthy is that Germany has shown a downward trend for 12 years, which can be attributed to changing student bodies and the challenges of digitalization. In order to address these developments, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the StartChances program, which has been specifically supporting schools that have a high proportion of socially disadvantaged students since August 2024. The effectiveness of this program will be evaluated through the 2026/2027 school year.

Educational inequality in international comparison

The discussion about the balance between high-performing students and educational inequality remains sensitive. According to the PISA data from 2022, the analysis of the mathematics skills of 9th graders shows that the school systems in the OECD countries vary greatly. Students from Canada score an average of 484 points in mathematics, while students from Greece only score 436 points. What is striking is the high proportion of performance differences that can be attributed to social background. In Greece it is 11.8% and in Canada 10.2%. Slovakia has the highest level of educational inequality within the OECD at 25.7%, as bpb.de indicates.

An analysis using the indices of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) shows that there is no systematic relationship between performance levels and educational inequality. Countries in the upper quadrant of the five-part classification – such as Japan, Canada and Korea – have both high performance and low inequality. Germany, on the other hand, finds itself in the quadrant of high performance and high inequality, which poses a challenge for the education strategy. In addition, Prof. Artelt expresses concern about the lack of appreciation for the teaching profession in Germany and calls for a differentiated discussion about it. She sees the prevailing negative portrayal of teachers in the media as a cause that could deter potential teachers.

Appreciation for teachers

Artelt suggests that a greater appreciation for education and the role of teachers could have positive effects on the entire school system. While ongoing discussions about school reform and educational quality are important, they cannot overlook the needs and efforts of those in the classroom every day. Society must ask itself how much the education of the next generation is worth to it and how the framework conditions for teachers should be designed to create a positive learning environment.