Contemporary Issues
After much public debate about Germany's perceived low international ranking in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), some things are beginning to change. There has been a trend towards a less ideological discussion on how to develop schools. These are some of the new trends:
- Establishing federal standards on quality of teaching
- More practical orientation in teacher training
- Transfer of some responsibility from the Ministry of Education to local school
Since 1990s, a few changes have already been taking place in many schools:
- Introduction of bilingual education in some subjects
- Experimentation with different styles of teaching
- Equipping all schools with computers and Internet access
- Creation of local school philosophy and teaching goals ("Schulprogramm"), to be evaluated regularly
- Reduction of Gymnasium school years (Abitur after grade 12) and introduction of afternoon periods as in many other western countries
Read more about this topic: Education In Germany
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