Overview

• The Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft reports another slight decline versus 2024, with 2025 scores down since 2013 by 43.7 points for integration/opportunity, 28.2 for school quality, and 26 for child-borne educational disadvantage.
• IW identifies a turning point around 2015 linked to unexpectedly high pupil inflows, including refugees, and says targeted support has arrived too late.
• Federal Education Minister Karin Prien says the coalition has agreed on a nationwide, compulsory diagnostic for four-year-olds to identify language and developmental needs early.
• Parties clash over enforcement: CDU’s Anne König raises possible sanctions, while SPD and Greens back binding tests but reject punishing parents; AfD stresses the role of the home environment.
• Researchers and unions urge early interventions yet warn teacher shortages and limited capacity could hinder delivery, though the IW notes gains in areas such as internationalization and childcare conditions.