In the north and in the south: several federal states are reforming their timetables for primary school children; they should receive more lessons in German and mathematics.
The reason for this is the constant bad news that has been coming for almost a year and a half with school studies such as IQB, Igloo or Pisa: A growing proportion of students in Germany cannot read, write and calculate properly.
How are these children doing and what could help them?
In the past few months, my colleagues and I have done a lot of research into this, published several articles and also spoken to affected children.
One girl, 10, stands out in my memory in particular.
Let's call it Grace.
Because Grace repeatedly failed and was annoyed at school, she often had little confidence in herself to do anything: “When the others hand in their test, but I'm still sitting there and haven't understood the task, I think I'm stupid. « A sentence that hurts, that you immediately want to contradict.
Grace speaks several languages, thinks intelligently in conversation, reliably looks after her younger siblings, and copes with adverse conditions at home.
Grace apparently had a difficult start to school, felt very rejected and was ultimately completely demotivated.
Months later I found out: With the help of volunteers, the child specifically practiced reading, writing and arithmetic in the afternoon, gained courage again, found fun in learning - and now got good grades.
Would Grace have benefited from a little more German and math lessons at school?
Maybe, but the topic is complex and is causing a lot of excitement, at least in Bavaria.
Because: There should be cuts in creative subjects (
debate of the week
).
Are you team German/Math or Art/Music?
Write to us at bildung@spiegel.de;
We would also be happy to provide feedback and suggestions on other topics.
Warm greetings, Silke Fokken
for the education team at SPIEGEL
That's going on
1. Too much lockdown?
March 16, 2020 was a turning point.
In the wake of the corona pandemic, a strict lockdown began.
Daycare centers, schools and even playgrounds were closed for many weeks and contact bans were imposed.
That was four years ago.
Looking back, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is critical: "The biggest mistake was that we were sometimes too strict with the children and probably started the easing measures a little too late," he told SPIEGEL.
“We should have done more to avoid educational deficits,” said Lauterbach.
The time was also not used to improve the “catastrophic digitization” in schools.
»At the same time, we didn't offer the children enough, we didn't provide them with enough psychotherapeutic care.
We missed warning signs.”
2. Too much pressure to perform?
The consequences apparently continue to have an impact today.
Headaches, stomach and back pain, problems falling asleep and depression: these complaints have increased significantly among 11 to 15 year olds in Germany over the years, including in the wake of the pandemic.
This is shown by the current HBSC study on student health.
42 percent of children and young people say they have a variety of psychosomatic complaints.
There are clear differences between the genders: around half of girls and a third of boys are affected.
According to the study, school, among other things, has a strong impact on the psyche.
You can find the article by my colleague Wolfgang Zehrung, which is worth reading, here.
In it, Zehrung quotes a child and adolescent psychotherapist who warns: "We are still in a mental health pandemic."
3. Too much parent taxi?
Another result of the HBSC study: Most children and young people exercise far too little.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day, it says.
This is achieved by just 10 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys.
Exercise here doesn't necessarily mean training in a sports club; it also counts, for example, riding your bike to school.
Study author Jens Buksch at Table.Bildung explains the difference between the genders by saying, among other things, that girls are given less freedom of movement when it comes to going to school or somewhere else.
Parents have a higher sense of security here: »It's said more often for girls.
I’d rather drive you.”
And otherwise ?
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While Lauterbach complains about the “catastrophic digitization” in schools, many teachers would rather put the brakes on the use of cell phones, tablets and laptops.
This emerges from a survey by the Bavarian Association of Philologists.
A majority fears “potential for distraction”, you can read the details here.
Further reading tips:
“We see school-age children who cannot eat with a knife and fork”: The British government is vowing the country to undertake new rounds of austerity.
But 4.2 million children already live in poverty today.
My colleague Jan Petter has researched that the consequences are fatal.
Teachers are allowed to demonstrate in their free time.
But does her employer have the authority to call on her to do that?
My colleague Swantje Unterberg has broken down the question legally for the occasion.
Germany has already been reprimanded twice by the UN for its treatment of people with disabilities.
Jürgen Dusel, Federal Commissioner for the Affairs of People with Disabilities, explains why this outrages him for personal reasons.
Debate of the week: More German and math: Can art go away?
The numbers speak for themselves: According to the IQB education trend, around a fifth of fourth graders fail to meet the minimum standards in mathematics, listening and reading, meaning they cannot understand complex texts.
Almost a third cannot write properly.
In the PISA tests, around a quarter of ninth graders fail to meet the minimum standards in reading, and almost a third fail in mathematics.
This doesn't bode well for your future school career, professional success or social participation.
The Standing Scientific Commission (SWK), which works on behalf of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, warned at the end of last year that Germany was no longer fulfilling its educational mandate for all children.
The 16-member committee therefore recommended that children should receive
more and better
German and math lessons.
Several federal states are taking action and changing their timetables, including Bavaria.
There should be one hour more German lessons in grades one to four, and one hour more mathematics in grades one and three.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced similar plans, but the difference is: Everything else stays as usual here.
In Bavaria, however, there will be cuts in favor of the core subjects in art, music, works or English.
The criticism is immense, the gasp is palpable: anyone who puts music on the sidelines in this way is "sinning against the future of our children," complained Christian Höppner, general secretary of the German Music Council.
Barbara Lutz-Sterzenbach, professor of art education and visual literacy at the University of Passau, turned to SPIEGEL to vent her anger.
The cuts are “absolutely out of the question!”
“Art is the subject in which
all
children – regardless of social class or background – learn to read images and visual media as the key to understanding our complex world and to deal with them competently,” she emphasizes.
Children from families at risk of poverty who cannot afford additional education are particularly affected by cuts in the subjects of art and music.
Furthermore: Who should work in the arts and crafts professions in Germany in the future if the promotion of fine motor skills in art and works ceases?
The professor is combative: In alliance with all supporting associations, “we will use all political means” to combat cuts in music, works and art.
And what do the experts in German and mathematics say?
“In view of the situation,” explains Michael Becker-Mrotzek, SWK member and professor of German language and didactics at the University of Cologne, referring to the disastrous study results, “German and mathematics must be increased.
That's a sensible approach.« Being able to read and write correctly are basic requirements in order to be able to successfully participate in lessons in other subjects and learn independently.
However, says Becker-Mrotzek, it doesn't help if schools do "more of the same."
But: "The additional time must be used specifically to strengthen reading and writing." There are special, scientifically based support programs for this: "If these programs are used, the proportion of students who fail to meet the minimum standards decreases. demonstrable." One example is the "Hamburg reading book" that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania wants to install: all children should practice reading in class for 20 minutes a day at a set time, regardless of the subject.
According to Susanne Prediger, Professor of Mathematics Didactics at the TU Dortmund, the following also applies to mathematics: More time is useful in improving performance.
But: “It depends on the quality of the teaching!” An additional lesson is worth its weight in gold, says Prediger,
“
IF it is accompanied by a further training program.” The federal states are currently investing in the QuaMath training project.
The aim is to reach 10,000 schools by 2033.
The professor finds cuts in art and music “unfortunate” because they pit subjects against each other.
But: In full-day operations there is actually a lot of time, including in the afternoon program through groups, workshops, choirs or theaters, to devote much more time to art and music than before: “We should continue to use this opportunity.”
Thank you for your interest and see you next time!
If you have a topic on your mind: You can reach us at bildung@spiegel.de