The academic success of German children depends more on their parents’ education and income, as the education system gives varying outcomes, a report published by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research reads.
German children with parents with high school diplomas are more likely to attend a school preparing for that same diploma, the report finds.
In most German states, children are separated into different types of secondary schooling, and not all types of secondary school enable children to reach the highest level of diploma (Abitur), which is needed to attend university.
The chance to get into the highest form of secondary school is 80% for children with non-single, high-earning parents who have an Abitur diploma themselves, but only 21% for children with single parents with low income and without Abitur, the report finds.
“The differences have a huge scale,” the report’s authors write, arguing that this disrespects the idea of fair chances for all.
“Social mobility and the opportunity for social advancement are important elements for the broad acceptance of a social order,” the report of Munich-based Ifo Institute says.
This would be violated in Germany. “The educational background of the parents, but also income and single parent status have a particularly strong impact, whereas the migration background has less of an effect after taking the other characteristics into account,” the authors note.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) promised to do better: “Unequal educational opportunities are the biggest social challenge,” the minister tweeted.
“But this is also where our greatest potential lies dormant,” she added, promoting a new federal program to support schools with the biggest problems. However, due to the federal organisation of the German education system and schools being a regional (Länder) competence, options for the national government are limited.
(Jonathan Packroff | EURACTIV.de)
Source: euractiv.com
