Education
Ifo survey: worse grades for school
The quality of the schools in Germany leaves more and more to be desired – at least that is the result of a survey by the Ifo Institute. photo
© Marcel Kusch/dpa
According to a recent survey, fewer and fewer citizens are satisfied with the quality of schools in Germany. A majority sees the shortage of teachers as a major problem.
A large majority of 68 percent of those questioned are in favor of Germany-wide standardized comparative tests in mathematics and German, and even 86 percent are in favor of nationwide standardized Abitur examinations. Three quarters of those questioned reject the abolition of school grades and are in favor of students with bad performances repeating the class.
In the representative survey of over 5,500 adults, 79 percent said the quality of school education had deteriorated in the corona pandemic. 77 percent consider the shortage of teachers to be a serious problem. The post-qualification of teachers for teaching in shortage subjects (79 percent) and the use of lateral entrants in shortage subjects (64 percent) would help. On the other hand, 81 percent of those surveyed reject an increase in classes.
Two thirds of those questioned also see a lack of money for the schools and “the inertia of the system” as serious problems. And even “74 percent think that the state should spend more on education,” said Woessmann. Three quarters of those surveyed also state that school and education policy is an important issue for their personal voting decision in state elections.