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The current PISA study 2022 assessed creative thinking skills for the first time. This enables a much more up-to-date comparison of school performance in OECD member states than in previous years. The days of rote learning are history. „333 at Issos Keilerei“ is likely to be a thing of the past. The education system should prepare pupils for the challenges of working life and equip them with the necessary skills. This includes the ability to understand facts, think independently and develop creative solutions on their own.
German schoolchildren rank in the middle of the pack – roughly on par with the average for 15-year-olds in the 64 member states, and thus worse than ever before. According to the results published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), performance in the areas of science, mathematics and reading literacy has deteriorated significantly. However, the results also reveal that one in five pupils is barely capable of thinking creatively, i.e. in a solution-oriented manner. Should this be the standard in the former land of poets and thinkers? After all, today's ninth-graders are tomorrow's managers, IT specialists, AI operators and scientists.
Creative thinking is undoubtedly one of the prerequisites for adapting to change and finding solutions to problems. For example, pupils were asked to think about how people could develop a better understanding of the importance of bees. Or they were allowed to come up with texts for a comic strip. Originality and the development of their own ideas were assessed. One reason for Germany's average performance could be the lack of promotion of creative skills in the education system. While the basics such as mathematics, reading and science are often at the forefront, creative thinking is frequently neglected. This could lead to an educational crisis, as creative skills are becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing world. Creative thinking not only supports students' academic performance and personal development, but is also crucial for innovation and social progress.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger immediately sensed an opportunity and questioned the federal states„ sovereignty in education policy. She seems to have little interest in the fact that education policy is the “Holy Grail" for the federal states in our federal system. Ms Stark-Watzinger even mused about a possible amendment to the Basic Law, but this is unlikely to gain a majority in this legislative period.
Incidentally, Singapore came out on top in the study. South Korea, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also achieved top rankings. 27% of students from Germany mastered the tasks particularly well, while 22% were barely able to develop their own ideas. The results of the PISA study should serve as a wake-up call. Perhaps German education policy should be reviewed once again. A stronger focus on promoting creativity might not hurt.
Further sources:
https://www.tagesschau.de/wissen/forschung/pisa-kreatives-denken-oecd-schuelerinnen-100.html
