Rhineland-Palatinate is planning mandatory language tests for children based on PISA results

Gordon Schnieder (CDU), Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, wants to introduce new tests for children after the Pisa study. “At the moment, a lot of children are not ready for primary school when they start school,” Schnieder told the editorial network Germany (RND). That's why his state government has set the course for "mandatory language tests at the age of four and a half" as well as testing the basic skills of primary school children.

“When children start primary school, they have to be able to speak German and master certain skills,” said Schnieder. This includes being able to hold a pen, cut with scissors and tie shoelaces. Schnieder did not say when the tests should be implemented.

In the current Pisa education study, students in Germany performed worse than ever before. In reading, mathematics and natural sciences, 15-year-olds achieved “the lowest competency scores since the Pisa surveys began,” as the authors announced.

The finding was also confirmed that school success in Germany depends more on social background than in other countries. This gap has actually been increasing again since 2015. Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) spoke of “worrying” results.

Schnieder open to educational summits

As a consequence, the SPD parliamentary group had called for a crisis meeting at the federal level. "After these results, we cannot simply move on to the agenda," said deputy group leader Dagmar Schmidt. At such a meeting, concrete, joint consequences would have to be drawn from the results.

Schnieder also defended the idea of ​​a national education summit. "I'm open to anything that serves to make the education system better," he said. In Germany, the federal states are responsible for education. There are therefore 16 education systems. Developing a common approach is considered a lengthy negotiation process.