{
  "id": 14779074,
  "title": "Interview: „Es kann nicht Ziel sein, dass sich alle Schüler nur wohlfühlen“ – Bildungsforscher appelliert an Lehrer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/interview-es-kann-nicht-ziel-sein-dass-sich-alle-schuler-nur",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-15T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/bildung-es-kann-nicht-ziel-sein-dass-sich-alle-schueler-nur-wohlfuehlen/100255718.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Professor Köller warned that it is not enough for all students to simply feel comfortable in school. Recent education tests, including the latest Pisa study, have shown devastating results for Germany's education system. German students have performed worse than ever in reading, arithmetic, and natural sciences. Behind these poor results lies a high-risk group: 32% of 15-year-olds fall below the minimum level in reading, and 34% in mathematics. These young individuals have few chances to access a qualified vocational training program because they are not fluent readers, especially not in the sense-making sense of texts. In mathematics, they are at best on the level of sixth graders. To effectively support these basic skills, a significant increase in efforts is necessary. After the first Pisa shock 25 years ago, it seemed that the country was shaken up. However, this time, there seems to be a lack of this urgency. Certainly, after 2001, there was a strong push for language promotion in kindergartens and other educational stages. But many of these programs were project-based and have since ended. There is a lack of sustainability in the system. Now, they are starting over again, but at least ten years have passed in between. What exactly was missed? Let's take a look at mathematics at the gymnasium: Since 2009, Germany has lost 55 Pisa points. That means our 15-year-olds in 2025 are about two school years behind those from 2009. Something must have gone wrong in improving the quality of instruction. This has probably little to do with immigration, social media, or why everything feels difficult for everyone emotionally. Rather, it must be due to something else. We need a 21st-century education that is more closely tied to the students' everyday lives. We talk about global crises, climate change, pandemics, energy problems, and yet the mathematics lessons in many classrooms continue to focus on repetitive tasks. This distracts from the teacher's attention. Yes, we need to reject the belief that teaching methods and tasks that worked well in the year 2000 still work today. Tasks that were created 20 years ago or even earlier do not motivate students anymore. A development of didactics and a realignment of the culture of tasks are necessary. Digital media can help here, for example, intelligent tutoring systems that support students while they work. The classroom must be \"catchy.\" How could this look? Analyzing data on climate change or biodiversity, graphing and interpreting them, and drawing conclusions. Understanding that correlation between two quantities does not automatically imply that one is the cause of the other – for example, the correlation between smartphone usage and school performance raises questions about which is the cause and which is the effect. The Pisa tests contain many interesting tasks like that. At many magnet schools, it is difficult to reach the students at all. Yes, here there is a lack of educational aspirations. Especially with particularly weak students, it's cool to skip school, be bad, and eventually not want to work at all. These students with low-performance-terminating identities cannot be reached only through language and mathematics support. The school must better address the challenging psychology of these students. Education Minister Karin Prien says that the promotion ladder in Germany doesn't function right now. Do you agree? I don't share this view. Empirical evidence shows something different. Every Pisa point gained contributes to the well-being of individuals and society. We need a narrative that positions education and high competence levels as central to individual advancement. Conversely: The high-risk students are the ones who later benefit from the welfare state's provisions. Are we not setting the bar too low? We are already lowering the grade from 3 to 2, which was previously a grade 3. It is evident that grades are being evaluated very liberally. This is also shown by the large contrast between the high grades and the grades in central final examinations. We no longer allow students to repeat a school year, but we simultaneously fail to support them appropriately. We simply turn a blind eye and let them go through until they end up in the high-risk group in Pisa. Does Germany need more performance, more discipline? It is not the goal of the school to make all students feel only comfortable. The school must convey a culture of striving, where children and youth understand that their efforts lead to learning success. Challenging tasks are needed, in which students can utilize their intellectual resources. They gladly strive when it is fun. They have just briefly mentioned social media. What role does excessive smartphone usage play in the negative trend? There are worldwide studies that examine this exact topic. However, there is the classic hen-and-egg problem. Does excessive smartphone usage negatively affect students, or are poor performance a result of excessive smartphone usage? Probably, there is a reciprocal connection, but overall, the effect is very weak. This needs to be further investigated.",
  "summary": "Olaf Köller sieht starke Defizite im deutschen Bildungssystem. Als Hauptursache nennt er nicht Zuwanderung oder Social Media, sondern einen ganz anderen Punkt.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}