Insufficient Conditions for Distance Learning in Germany Exacerbate Educational Inequity

Abstract

Every three years, the OECD conducts the so-called PISA studies (Programme for International Student Assessment), the largest international studies of school performance. These studies test whether participating pupils can apply their acquired knowledge and link information in a meaningful way - key competencies for being successful in the information society of the 21st century. Some 600,000 pupils from 79 countries and regions participated in the latest 2018 PISA test. In the first test, conducted in 2000, Germany's pupils performed poorly, but now they achieve above-average results. But of concern to german education policymakers is the substantial achievement gap between pupils from favorable socioeconomic backgrounds and those from unfavorable social backgrounds in Germany. Although there has been progress since the first study in 2000, there have been setbacks in recent years. Further setbacks could follow. Due to the Corona crisis, schools had to be closed for several weeks. At short notice and without preparation distance learning was prescribed. However, Germany is not sufficiently prepared for this. In an international comparison, the technical equipment in schools, a prerequisite for sustainable "digital" learning success for pupils, is not particularly good. Pupils' conditions at home, especially among disadvantaged pupils, are also often not conducive to successful distance learning. They are less well equipped with PCs and laptops, have less access to the Internet, receive significantly less support from their parents, and their housing conditions are much more cramped. This raises fears that social selectivity could increase.