Commentary: Pisa 2026 – The Inconvenient Lesson from China's Classrooms
Shanghai and Beijing easily outperform German pupils in maths. The reason for this is not in the system - but in a question that German parents hardly ever ask anymore.
The recent Pisa 2026 results have once again brought Germany face-to-face with reality, prompting a closer look at Asian metropolises and provinces. Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang top the charts in mathematics and sciences. However, concerns have been raised regarding the representativeness of the sample and the methodological issues involved.
Critics argue that Germany should compare itself to countries with similar political systems, namely democracies such as Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan. Nonetheless, these countries cannot be accurately compared due to the limitations posed by their democratic nature. It is crucial not to hastily dismiss the Chinese experience, as it is not about system rivalries or political propaganda; rather, it is about a private, almost familial concern: how much time, money, and care we invest in the education of our children.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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