Superior Bavarian education a myth?

In 2002, the level of school education was tested for the first time all across Germany in the framework of the PISA study ('Programme for international student assessment'). It turned out that there was a considerable divergence among the different German Länder. In particular, the results showed a clear North-South divide with Bavaria performing best in all main disciplines such as reading, natural sciences and maths. The validity and possible reasons for these results have been hotly debated ever since.

Gisela secondary school in Munich

Milena Schoser goes to school in Munich and therefore has an inside view into the workings of the Bavarian school system. In a contribution to the debate published in June 2015, Milena casts doubt on the alleged superiority of the Bavarian school education. She criticises that the education does not prepare the students for real life, lacking discussion about politics and practical insights for example into how to prepare a tax declaration or conclude an insurance. Rather, schools are old-fashioned expecting students to learn much by heart. Moreover, the quality of the lessons depends very much on the initiative of the individual teachers she adds.