A study examines the skills of fourth graders in Germany in math, reading, listening and spelling. The trend is nationwide downwards - also in Bavaria.
Munich (dpa / lby) - The fourth graders in the Free State are still doing well in the subjects math and German in a nationwide comparison. However, the performance curve is also going down in Bavaria. This is shown by the IQB education trend 2021 presented on Monday at the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) in Berlin. In the area of spelling, 58.0 percent of Bavarian fourth graders achieved the standard standard - more than in all other federal states, but less than in 2016. At that time it was still there 67.6 percent. Nationwide, the value for spelling in 2021 was 44 percent on average (2016: 53.9 percent).
According to the study, 66.2 percent of Bavarian fourth graders achieved the standard in terms of mathematical competence. In a national comparison, they ranked just behind their peers from Saxony (66.8 percent). But the trend is also downwards in math. In 2016, 73.3 percent in Bavaria had still reached the standard. When reading, 67.7 percent of fourth graders from Bavaria managed the standard standard (2016: 73.9 percent) and were also on par with the Saxons (2021: 67.3 percent).
Since 2011, the PISA follow-up study has been examining the competencies of the pupils in the fourth grade of primary school every five years using a standard set by the KMK. The study now presented was carried out in early 2021 and was therefore still under corona conditions.
The Ministry of Education sees this as one of the reasons for the weaker performance. The school days of the students at that time were clearly characterized by phased school closures, different phases of distance and alternating teaching or teaching under changed conditions. It is gratifying that Bavaria's elementary school students have achieved good results despite the stress caused by the pandemic, said Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (Freie Wahler).
