Overview
- Beginning with pupils entering in 2026/27, primary classes will use semi‑written division methods that break numbers into easier parts, which the ministry says reduces common errors and builds number sense.
- The rollout starts in grades 1–2 in 2026/27 and extends to grades 3–4 the following year, according to the ministry’s implementation plan.
- Authorities stress the method is not abolished entirely, stating that students will learn component steps in primary school and the full written algorithm in lower secondary from grade 5.
- Teacher associations and opposition politicians criticize the change as lowering standards, while mathematics education experts such as Susanne Prediger and Timo Leuders back the shift as a better use of instruction time.
- Saxony rejects the move and will keep written division in grade 4 under its 2025 curriculum referencing the 2022 KMK standards, underscoring diverging approaches among German states.