ifo Education Survey 2020: Germans support more uniformity and comparability in the education system

Education Policy Decisions Being Made by the Federal Government

The ifo Education Survey 2020 focuses on federalism in education. In Germany, the federal states are responsible for the education system. Contrary to this current regulation, 60 percent of Germans are in favor of education policy decisions being made by the federal government instead. Compared to the status quo, the German population supports a higher level of federal funding in the education sector: According to the respondents, 38 percent, 41 percent, and 49 percent of the funding for childcare, schools, and universities, respectively, should come from the federal government. In contrast, respondents favor less funding by the federal states (34 percent, 38 percent, and 35 percent, respectively).

In addition, the majority of Germans supports political initiatives for a greater standardization of the education system. 70 percent are (strongly or somewhat) in favor of establishing a “Nationaler Bildungsrat” (National Education Council), which would develop non-binding recommendations for the federal states. Another initiative with majority support is the conclusion of a “Bildungsstaatsvertrag” (State Treaty on Education), which would be jointly adopted by all federal states and contain binding guidelines. 83 percent support this proposal, 42 percent even “strongly” so. A majority also supports more concrete measures to standardize the school system, such as the automatic recognition (85 percent) or standardization (90 percent) of teacher training between the different states, and lifting the cooperation ban in the school sector (73 percent in favor).

More Comparability

Most Germans also demand more comparability: An overwhelming majority of 88 percent finds it important that student performance is comparable between the federal states. Accordingly, large parts of the population support reform proposals to increase comparability. Absolute majorities are in place, for example, for the introduction of regular comparative tests for all school types (76 percent), nationwide standardized final examinations in the different school tracks (85 percent to 89 percent), nationwide standardized curricula in the upper secondary school (88 percent) or the “Gemeinsame Kernabitur” (Common Core Final Examination) in Mathematics, German and English (83 percent).