Education Policy Outlook 2018

Germany

Context

Germany scored higher than the OECD average in science in PISA 2015, with a mean score of 509 points, compared to the OECD average of 493 points. Performance in science remained stable across PISA cycles, with an average score change of -1.7 score points, while reading performance has increased and mathematics performance has stayed the same. Socio-economic status had higher-than-average impact on science performance in PISA 2015, explaining 15.8% of the variance in performance (OECD average: 12.9%). The impact of ESCS on performance in science has not changed since 2006. Gender differences in science performance were higher than the OECD average, with a difference between boys and girls of 10 points, compared to the average difference across the OECD of 4 points. Immigrant students make up 16.9% of the student population of 15-year-olds in Germany, a higher proportion than the OECD average of 12.5%. Performance differences between immigrant and non-immigrant students are higher than the OECD average. Immigrants scored on average 50 score points lower than non-immigrants in science in PISA 2015, compared to the OECD average of 31 score points.

Enrolment of 3-year-olds in ECEC was higher than the OECD average in 2015, at 93.3% (OECD average: 77.8%). ECEC is organised as an integrated system for children from birth to school entrance. Since 2005, the supply of ECEC has strongly expanded for children under age 3, and attendance increasingly starts at an earlier age. In addition to ECEC services, some Länder also run preschool classes that children can attend alternatively at age 5. ECEC programmes are considered education-only programmes and are delivered by qualified ECEC teachers according to Länder curricula. Children who have reached compulsory school age but have not yet attained an adequate level of development to start school may take part in preschool educational programmes (Schulkindergarten, Vorklasse, Grundschulförderklasse). Compulsory education in Germany begins at age 6 and ends at age 18, longer than the typical duration across the OECD. Students are first tracked into different educational pathways at age 10, which is earlier than the OECD average of age 14. General upper secondary education (gymnasiale Oberstufe) is offered by academic high schools (Gymnasien) and comprehensive high schools (Gesamtschulen). Students can also choose a vocational track, which is divided into six occupational areas. The upper secondary general school leaving certificate (Abitur) constitutes a general higher education entrance qualification permitting the graduate to study any subject at any higher education institution. It is obtained after 12 or 13 years of education. A higher education entrance qualification is required for graduates from general and vocational upper secondary education who wish to continue. Students from the dual system (first cycle) and specialised vocational schools must obtain an occupational qualification before continuing to specialised vocational high schools (Berufsoberschulen), the dual system (second cycle), or health and social sector programmes).

VET is provided at upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary levels, and dual programmes are offered in over 300 trades, with an exit exam for the dual system that does not count school performance. Although very few VET graduates continue to tertiary education, there are short and long programmes they can attend in trade and technical schools. In the OECD Survey of Adult Skills in 2012 and 2015, adult literacy scores in Germany were higher than the OECD average, at 270 points, compared to the OECD average of 268 points. The proportion of the population aged 25-64 with lower secondary education as the highest level of attainment in Germany is relatively low, with an attainment rate of 10.1% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 14.3%. NEET rates (the proportion of those aged 18-24 that are neither employed nor in education or training) are lower than the OECD average, at 10%, compared to the OECD average of 15.3%. The percentage of the population aged 25-34 with a tertiary-level qualification is lower than the OECD average, at 30.5% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 43.1%. Employment rates for 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education are also relatively high. In 2016, 87% were employed, while the OECD average rate was 82.9%.

Figure 7.10. Selected indicators compared with the average: Germany

Note: For each indicator, the absolute performance is standardised (normalised) using a normative score ranging from 0 to 220, where 100 was set at the average, taking into account all OECD countries with available data in each case.

Sources: OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en; OECD (2016), Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264258051-en; OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2017-en.

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Evolution of policy priorities

Table 7.10. Evolution of key education policy priorities, Germany (2008-17)

Identified by	Equity and quality	Preparing students for the future
Selected OECD country-based work, 2008-171	The OECD identified the need to help integrate children, especially those with an immigrant background, to improve the quality of ECEC, to guarantee high quality and equity across all levels of the education system and to reduce stratification in the school system. [2016]	According to OECD evidence, a challenge for Germany has been that globalisation and technological progress have increased the relative demand for high-skilled labour and the need for a more flexible workforce that can retrain easily in response to changing economic conditions. Additional challenges have been identified in improving the transitions from post-secondary VET to academic higher education, improving the transparency and varying course quality of preparatory courses for examinations, and making full use of workplace training in support of learning goals. [2010; 2013]
Evolution of responses to EPO Surveys, 2013 and 2016‑17	Germany reported that the challenge of supporting students with disadvantaged and migrant backgrounds and efforts to diminish the impact of socio-economic background on students’ outcomes have been exacerbated by the increase in immigration. This has led to further challenges of integration at school, as students with an immigrant background have poor German skills and lower education levels, due to interrupted school paths. [2013; 2016-17]	Germany had reported the objective of improving performance in academic and VET provision. As of 2016, challenges remain in lowering the VET dropout rate of students with a disadvantaged background and enhancing the rate of high-performing students in VET. [2013; 2016-17]

1. See Annex A, Table A A.3 for the list of OECD publications consulted for this snapshot.

Selected education policy responses

Germany extended childcare extensively from 2008 to 2015, as part of the Childcare Funding Act (Kinderförderungsgesetzes, KiföG). In 2014, at least 41% of parents with children under age 3 stated that they needed a childcare place. As a result of this growing need, the fourth federal investment programme is being made for 2017 to 2020, to provide places to implement the legal entitlement of parents to an ECEC place for children who are 1 and 2 years old, which was initially approved in 2013. The federal investment programme will contribute to the creation of 100 000 additional ECEC places for children from birth to school entry (BMFSJ, 2015).

• Progress or impact: The 2014-16 evaluation of the Childcare Funding Act (Kinderförderungsgesetzes, KiföG) assessed the period from 2008 to 2015. It highlights the programme’s impact on children and parents whose children benefitted from childcare, as well as on actors from children’s care facilities and others affiliated with ECEC. Overall, childcare for children under age 3 rose from 17.6% in 2008 to 32.3% in 2014, and then to 32.7% in 2016 (BMFSJ, 2015; Destatis, 2016). The need for ECEC differs across the German Länder, and as the report points out, some have displayed better capacity than others at providing ECEC for children at this age. As a result, although the ratio of childcare needed compared to the childcare rate fell from 13 to 9.2 between 2012 and 2014, at least 185 000 children across the country still did not have a spot in childcare by 2014. At the same time, parents whose children participated in ECEC were satisfied with the childcare they received. Most sought places in children's day nurseries for children under age 3. Overall, most parents easily found a childcare location for children age 1 and older. More than half reported having already found childcare for children six months after birth (BMFSJ, 2015).

Germany established various programmes to foster equity of access to ECEC services, such as the programmes on building bridges to early education for families with refugee background and low socio-economic status (Kita-Einstieg: Brücken bauen in frühe Bildung, 2017) and focusing on emergent literacy (Sprach-Kitas: Weil Sprache der Schlüssel zur Welt ist, 2016).

• Progress or impact: With a view to the recent challenge of integrating children from refugee families, a representative survey among ECEC services carried out in March 2016 showed that one in three ECEC centres participating in the survey had received children from refugee families (Baisch et. al, 2017).

In 2013, Germany launched a research and development programme (2013-19) known as Education through Language and Writing (Bildung durch Sprache und Schrift, BiSS), a joint initiative of the federal level and the Länder. This initiative aims to scientifically evaluate and, based on the results of the evaluations, further develop the emergent literacy education of children and young people. The evaluations assess the effectiveness and efficiency of current measures introduced in the Länder for language and literacy promotion and language diagnostics, from primary to lower secondary education. Over 600 educational institutions participate in BiSS at both elementary and secondary levels, including 200 kindergartens and 400 schools (BMBF, 2018; BMFSJ, 2018).

• Progress or impact: The Evaluation of selected BiSS Measures indicates that more than 40 networks of kindergartens and/or schools affiliated with the programme have participated in external evaluations. The results of the evaluations are used to further improve literacy education in the institutions. Kindergartens and schools are also instructed to independently check and optimise the quality of their practices through self-evaluations. Regular workshops for teachers and educators from the participating networks help to implement good practice in kindergartens and schools, so kindergartens and schools participating in the programme benefit from support for the planning, implementation and evaluation of their literacy education practices. This evaluation reported that between 2014 and 2016, at least four two-day workshops were held in the areas of concept development and self-evaluation (BiSS, 2017).

In Germany, reform measures by all Länder in the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Kultusministerkonferenz, KMK), as well as measures adopted by the Federal Government aim to: 1) expand full-day educational offers to extend educational and support options; 2) raise the educational level of disadvantaged students; and 3) improve school education, including reading and linguistic competences and the understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts (e.g. the recently developed Education in the Digital World strategy). Some related measures include the Education through Language and Writing programme (2013) to further develop linguistic education of children by evaluating the policies in place, the Educational Chains Initiative (2010) and the Alliance for Education and Training 2015-18 to place more disadvantaged youth into vocational education and training and apprenticeships.

• Progress or impact: So far, the reforms have had an overall positive impact. According to available evidence, 60% of schools in Germany offered all-day schooling programmes in 2016, and more than one-third of all students participated in them (Authoring Group Educational Reporting, 2016). This is an increase from 16% in 2002. Most programmes are non-mandatory and do not require attendance. Still, in 2014, a provision of EUR 260 million had been budgeted for the period through the end of 2017 to extend all-day schooling (EC, 2016a). Efforts have also been made to increase the participation rate of all students in school, which is similar to that of migrant and non-migrant students at preschool age and for those aged 16-30. As of 2016, the development of all-day school programmes and the creation of inclusive education systems are still among the core challenges for Germany. These aim to tackle increasing segregation based on socio-economic status, as non-native German-speaking students are finding themselves attending schools in which most of the students do not have German as their primary family language. National sources indicate that the population’s level of education has significantly improved in recent years, as more and more students are achieving general and vocational qualifications (BMBF, 2016a). At the same time, in the KMK’s 2016 education monitoring (IQB-Bildungstrend), results showed negative trends in the competence levels of fourth graders in mathematics (Stanat et al., 2016). Another report also shows that the number of students who only reach a Hauptschulabschluss (lower secondary school qualification) or enter the labour market without vocational qualifications continues to be too high (Authoring Group Educational Reporting, 2016).

Since 2013, Education Alliances (Kultur macht stark - Bündnisse für Bildung) have supported out-of-school programmes in Germany for educationally disadvantaged children and teenagers. Starting in 2013, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) allocated annual funding of EUR 30 million for this programme, to be increased to EUR 50 million in the following four years. The Education Package (Bildungspaket) (by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, 2011) aims to give 2.5 million children from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to participate in activities such as school excursions, sports, and musical and cultural activities, to boost their motivation and sense of belonging.

• Progress or impact: A 2016 evaluation found overall positive results for the policy. By 2016, 11 500 measures had been taken, and 4 700 alliances had been funded across the country. The main target group of educationally disadvantaged children and teenagers benefitted from at least 90% of the measures taken. Between 2013 and 2016, 223 000 children and teenagers as well as 28 000 relatives benefitted from out-of-school programmes. The main geographical focus is on regions with a high percentage of the main target group. Success factors identified include easy access to the programmes for children and teenagers, as well as content tailored to conditions on the ground. Other factors are the possibility to gain social and cultural awareness and skills: 90% of the alliances include volunteers. An important target is also the establishment of long-term co-operation. Of the co-ordinators interviewed, 65% stated they intended to reapply for funding. In addition, 90% of the alliances anticipated continuing the co‑operation independently of the federal programme (Prognos, 2016). The programme will be extended from 2018 to 2022, and interested local partners can begin applying for 2018 funding at the end of 2017 (BMBF, 2017a).

Germany’s National Action Plan on Integration (NAP-I, 2011, previously the National Integration Plan [2007]) was created to improve equity and boost participation and success of students of migrant background. It was developed in collaboration with civil society stakeholders, including immigrant organisations (Federal Government, 2012). One of the main aspects was the integration of students with a migrant background into the education system and the labour market. Education also encompasses initial training and continuous training, which also forms the main part of national monitoring (BMBF, 2013). National sources indicate that the primary purpose of this transformation was to ensure, by means of measurable policies, that the integration of immigrant students in the Länder’s education systems was irreversible (Federal Government, 2012).

• Progress or impact: As of 2013, the number of adolescents with a migrant background who leave school without a diploma was decreasing, and the number of those who leave school with a higher-education entrance diploma was increasing (BMBF, 2013). However, by 2016, the rate of early school leaving among students with a migrant background (23.1%) was almost three times higher than that of their native-born peers (8.2%) (EC, 2017a). Furthermore, access to education for children and adolescents without resident status has been widened by easing legislation (BMBF, 2013). The action plan was subject to constant monitoring. According to national information, the departments in charge of the 11 dialogue fora were asked to submit an evaluation report by June 2016 on the state of implementation of the measures. The report on the Dialogue Forum 2 "Education, Training, Further Education" was prepared by the BMBF. The Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration observed that the evaluation focused solely on integration into the education systems and labour market and should also measure social and cultural integration (SVR, 2017). According to national information, the NAP-I was only valid for one legislation period (2012 to 2016), although it was initially designed to be a process surpassing legislative periods, with regular examinations of the set targets. Partially due to the increase in the number of refugees arriving in Germany, the NAP-I had no successor in the following legislative period. However, the action plan is likely to be picked up again in coming legislation.

Germany’s overarching Qualification Initiative “Getting ahead through education” (Aufstieg durch Bildung) operated from 2008 to 2015 and then was superseded by several programmes on the federal and Länder levels. It addressed all areas of education, from ECEC to VET and (continuing) higher education, as well as lifelong learning. In 2008, the target was set to spend 10% of gross domestic product on education, science and research. The objectives corresponding to upper secondary education and beyond include: 1) increasing the number of students in academic and vocational education; 2) making vocational education more attractive; 3) facilitating transfer opportunities between VET and academic education; and 4) improving equity and access to education (such as by integrating young people with a migration background). One programme helps refugees during their studies at institutions of higher education (BMBF, 2017b). The Qualification Initiative also aims to increase students’ interest and enthusiasm for scientific and technical vocations (BMBF, 2017b). For example, Girls’ Day is targeted at young female students to raise their interest in pursuing studies in STEM subjects (BMBF, 2017b).

• Progress or impact: According to the 2015 report on implementation of the Initiative, the targets were about to be reached or had already been surpassed. For example, the target of increasing the participation rate in additional training to 43% from 2006 to 2015 was surpassed in 2014 with a record high of 51% (KMK and GWK, 2015). Further evidence on the overall objectives identified several developments. The number of young people without vocational education dropped to 13.8% in 2013, and the number of women in STEM careers is increasing (BMBF, 2017b). Also, further financial investments have been made, such as allocating EUR 100 million to help refugees to study in universities (BMBF, 2017c). In addition, the ministry has been allocating an extra EUR 130 million for the acquisition of the German language, the identification of competences and potential of refugees and their integration into training and occupations (BMBF, 2017c).

Germany’s Educational Chains Initiative (Initiative Bildungsketten, 2010) aims to ensure a better transition into VET and the labour market. Under this Initiative, vocational trainers and senior experts are engaged to give guidance to youth. The Initiative is also part of the Alliance for Education and Training 2015-18 (Allianz für Aus- und Weiterbildung) (BMBF and BMAS, 2017), which brings together federal and regional governments, and social partners to improve the attractiveness of VET. The Initiative has been enhanced to extend counselling and coaching and to operate in 11th grade of secondary schools (Gymnasien). The government is also reinforcing collaboration between municipal youth, social services and employment agencies to aid young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (EC, 2016a). As part of the Initiative, the government also developed the VerA Programme (2010-20), which provides free-of-charge support to prevent early leaving in apprenticeships.

• Progress or impact: The 2014 external evaluation of the Initiative focused on the core elements of potential assessment, practical occupational orientation and mentoring of the transition to the labour market. Experts have stated that assessment of students is a good basis to move to the practical occupational guidance. Among practical occupations, internships were most positively evaluated by both students and other stakeholders. The importance of having internships as part of the programme was especially stressed by staff of special needs’ schools (Förderschulen). Outcomes on mentoring of the transition to the labour market have been mixed, as the initial and overall conditions varied immensely. For example, half of the mentors operated only at one school, while the others had to work at several schools simultaneously (RMC, IES and ISM, 2014).

In 2016, Germany established an extended career orientation programme on VET programmes in the trade sector (BMBF-Programm Berufsorientierung für Flüchtlinge) for asylum seekers, young refugees or those with temporary residence status who are allowed to access the labour market and are beyond the age of compulsory education, as part of the Ways to Education for Refugees initiative (Wege in Ausbildung für Flüchtlinge) (BMAS, 2016). The programme is also part of the Education Chains Initiative (2010). The programme set the goal to train and bring into trade training up to 10 000 refugees by 2018 (BMBF, 2016b). The target group is those who have already completed an integration course, have a good competency in German and have previously completed a first orientation in trades (BMBF, 2016b; BMAS, 2016). Participants can test apprenticeships in up to three different trades (BMBF, 2016b). In response to first experiences, several adjustments were implemented in 2017 to make the programme more flexible (BMBF, 2017d). For example, instead of limiting the programme to a maximum of 13 weeks, it was increased to up to 26 weeks, and the length of time a participant can spend in an enterprise was doubled to 8 weeks (BMBF, 2017d).

• Progress or impact: A case example of the city of Duisburg shows that as of April 2017, 11 people had completed the programme and some of them had already started an apprenticeship in a trade. By then, 33 people were participating in the programme. The overall completion rate is high: within four rounds only 6.5% of the participants dropped out (BMBF, 2017e).

Additional education policies of potential interest to other countries

• The federal government and the Länder started a process to improve the quality of ECEC and to negotiate national quality goals in 2014. More recent efforts include the guidelines for the promotion of quality development for good education in early childhood (Richtlinie zur Förderung der "Qualitätsentwicklung für gute Bildung in der frühen Kindheit”), announced in 2017 (BMBF, 2017f). During the same year, the German federal government and the Länder reached an agreement on the structure of a future law on quality development. The ECEC prize (Deutscher Kita-Preis) is another measure to improve quality. The prize will be awarded to five kindergarten and local alliances for the first time in 2018 (Deutscher Kita-Preis, 2018).

In 2010, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs adopted a targeted support strategy for poorer-performing pupils (Förderstrategie für leistungsschwächere Schülerinnen und Schüler), which includes measures on prevention, intervention and compensation.

• The treaty on the accreditation of higher education (Staatsvertrag über die Organisation eines gemeinsamen Akkreditierungssystems zur Qualitätssicherung in Studium und Lehre an deutschen Hochschulen [Studienakkreditierungsstaatsvertrag]) entered into force in 2018. This treaty reorganises the relations between the federal and state levels. Another major change is the involvement of (private) accreditation agencies, which will, for example, evaluate programmes and quality management systems (EC, 2017c).

In 2014, the German federal government announced a new Education Offensive in the Digital Agenda (2014-17). In 2016, the Ministry of Education and Research published a strategy paper on the Education Offensive for a Digital Society (Bildungsoffensive für die digitale Wissensgesellschaft Strategie des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung). This strategy lays out the framework for action of the education offensive. Part of the strategy is the DigitalPact Schools (DigitalPakt Schule), which is a joint initiative between the federal and Länder level. It aims to improve general digital education at all school levels (primary to upper secondary and VET schools) by preparing for the challenges of the digital future and strengthening interoperability of the technical infrastructure. Specific measures include improving the technical preconditions and adapting curricula and further education and training for teachers (BMBF, 2016c). The federal level and the Länder have reached a common understanding on which aspects of digitisation to include in the programme and which additional activities the Länder could be required to undertake to ensure that the digital change reaches all schools and all subject areas. The vocational training initiative (Berufsbildung 4.0, 2016) aims to modernise occupational profiles and support the use of digital media in vocational training (BMBF, 2017g). The Youth Informatics Competition (Jugendwettbewerb Informatik) was launched in 2017 to increase students’ interest in programming (BWINF, 2018).