Bayerisches Landesportal: The Future Lies in Education

The Future Lies in Education

© istock.com / Jacob Wackerhausen

Education is the key to the future. More than ever in our modern world knowledge and education provide the best springboard for young people. The prime aim is therefore to provide the best educational opportunities for our children and teenagers, because the raw material of a child's mind is the most valuable natural resource that we possess.

In Bavaria, optimum conditions for school education take priority over other important state obligations. 8 billion Euros, approximately one quarter of the state's total expenditure, is allocated to the school sector every year. It is by far the biggest single item in the Bavarian budget. And more is on the way. The PISA study demonstrated impressively that Bavarian schools meet all the requirements for successful school education; in the latest PISA test Bavaria's pupils did better than their fellows in the other federal states in all the subjects tested - mathematics, reading, natural sciences and problem-solving - and were at the forefront internationally as well.

Permanent educational success involves many factors: for example, a high academic level, teaching according to modern didactic standards, and co-operation based on mutual trust and confidence among teachers, parents and pupils. Bavarian schools attach great importance not only to the instilling of knowledge and abilities, but also to such key competences as teamwork ability, independence, creativity, methodological competence, and cultural sensitivity. Teaching and life at school are organised so that the pupils are able to deal with ethical questions and are given a clear system of values.

With curricula that apply throughout the state, centrally organised final examinations, orientation tests and year tests, Bavaria ensures that consistently high standards prevail at all the schools in the state. At the same time, increased independence permits the schools to improve their academic and pedagogical work autonomously. Internal and external evaluation together with a wide range of further training opportunities for teachers assist their continuing professional development.

The goal of the school system in Bavaria is for every pupil to be encouraged and supported according to their individual strengths and talents and to try and achieve the school-leaving qualification they have decided to aim for. Bavaria has had very good experiences with its structured school system, consisting of a unified primary school and various types of secondary schools. It permits the pupils to be encouraged and supported according to their performance and at the same time ensures that everyone receives a fair opportunity. Free interchange between the various types of school based on the principle "No leaving certificate without further opportunities" guarantees that admission to institutes of further education can be obtained from every type of school.

To enable parents to combine working and bringing up children more easily, Bavaria is steadily expanding the system of all-day schooling. It is planned that by 2008 there will be more than 1,000 all-day opportunities and over 100 all-day schools in the whole of Bavaria. The number of co-operative partners for all-day opportunities is constantly expanding, too. The school year 2006/7 will see the introduction for the first time of all-day primary schools.

The PISA Study

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is an international study organised by the OECD to compare the scholastic achievements of 15-year-olds in the fields of reading, mathematics and natural sciences. 41 nations took part in the second survey in 2003. The international investigation was expanded to include a comparison of the individual states in Germany (PISA-E).

Results of the 2003 PISA-E tests

Bavaria was placed first in all the fields tested in Germany and was the only state to occupy a leading position internationally.