Ook Duitsland in debat over OESO-review

Ook is de selectie van potentiële studenten vanuit het VO een probleem geworden. Maar 38 % van de schoolverlaters uit het VO is gekwalificeerd voor deelname aan het HO. Gemiddeld is dat bij de OESO-landen 49 %. Expenditure on education is also well below the OECD average, with Germany spending less than 10% on its public higher education institutions in 2004 compared with more than 13% for the organisation’s member countries as a whole.

Commenting on Germany’s low share of expenditure on higher education Professor Margret Wintermantel, president of the organisation of higher education, HRK, said the comparison with other industrialised countries showed Germany had to invest significantly more in education, especially in higher education. “Higher education institutions can only fulfil their mission of providing qualifications if there are sufficient funds for the Bologna reform process and more staff are recruited.”

The government, however, saw no cause for alarm and referred to a ‘higher education pact’ last year between the states and federal government to provide funding for an extra 90,000 students. Under the pact, some €565 million (US$803 million) will be spent between 2007 and 2010 on creating more university places. Schavan said that, together with additional support measures for students, this was a substantial contribution to Germany attaining its goal of a 40% participation rate in higher education.

Een analyse van de impact van de excellentie-initiatieven in Duitsland, om deze trend te helpen keren, verscheen op ScienceGuide en in Der Spiegel eind vorige week van de hand van de langjarige HRK-president, prof Klaus Landfried. U leest zijn bijdrage aan het debat hier.