German schools among worst

A disaster, says German philosopher Mr Precht.

He must know.

He is a professor of philosophy and a product of this German education system.

So, students, listen up. Lesson 1 when you write about any education system is:
The current crop of students is always worse than the previous one. They know less, they are lazy, they behave worse.

Now, to be fair to the man, the Germans had a rude awakening a little over ten years ago, when the OECD conducted a study called 'the Pisa study', and the German politicians and educators signed off on a catalog of test questions, only to find that the German ranking was unexpectedly low.

We looked at some of the old scribbles and reacted once again with an outburst of uncontrollable laughter.

The study was the perfect disaster.

The German high-mindedness about their finely tuned education system: in tatters. Rumors have it that JK Rowling modeled the sorting hat in her Harry Potter series after the German school system.
Populist conservatives: hard-ons as far as the eyes could see.
Governing conservatives: just the opposite.
Social democrats: very confused about how their well meaning policies instituted in previous years could have failed. The confusion resulted mainly from the fact that many of their politicians did not possess the level of reading comprehension required to fully understand the OECD study.

In  more recent rounds of the Pisa tests, the Germans have done better. Which proves exactly the same thing we have seen in the U.S. -- if you teach to tests, more students pass.

We do agree on quite a few points with our disaster philosopher. For example, what bourgeois full-of-themselves pieces-of-some-substance would believe in a school system that sends some kids off to a better life after the 4th grade and keeps so many others locked in the same place their ancestors have occupied since the good old feudal times?

On the other hand, the problem with the "disaster" label is that Germany has been producing enough qualified folks to be near the very top of the economic heap. So, the sorting system sorta worked.

What can a philosopher do to be right in the face of, let's call them facts?

The future!!! There is no guarantee that the future will be as kind to the German education system as the past.

Well done, maestro. It's so obviously true, it must be philosophy.

Here's the thing though: we agree. We would love to see nothing more than complete annihilation of the education system as we know it.

In favor of a Walldorf-fy Montessori-y humane challenging yet supportive system.

Ain't gonna happen.

Now, dear Germans, before you get too upset at not being as good as the Finnish or some others, you have not seen education hell if you have not been in American or British classrooms (not the private schools, the state schools).

The interview with the person who instantly became our favorite contemporary German philosopher also has a photo. The pose, upper body slightly leaned forward, right arm folded towards the torso, chin resting on the fist, gaze level into the distance is noteworthy. It's the pose of the bronze sculpture of the philosopher along the "philosopher's way" in Heidelberg, Germany.

The haircut sported by our new friend reflects the personality of a critical thinker, at ease with his questioning and guiding role in society and academia.
It's an understated hint at the old rebel soul putting academia and middle Germany on notice: I may be one of you, but I am my own man.

You still haven't figured it out? Just above shoulder length.

In case you find the haircut paragraph in the next Pisa test as a reading comprehension and cultural understanding question, de nada.