A new study from Bavaria has found that dividing students into Hauptschule or Realschule after fourth grade leads to a decline in academic performance. The Ifo Institute released a study on Thursday that shows early division negatively affects the academic strength of young Hauptschule and Realschule students, with Hauptschule students being particularly affected. The lack of academic challenge in fifth and sixth grade is cited as a reason for this decline. Additionally, early division reduces the likelihood of students being assigned to the correct school type.
Many European countries have introduced a school system that supports long-term shared learning. However, in 2000, Bavaria decided to divide students after fourth grade in order to provide Realschule students with a deeper and broader education. To analyze the effects of this educational reform, Ifo education researchers examined the results of the PISA extension studies from 2000, 2003, and 2006. The study compared the performance of 15-year-old students in 2000 and 2003 with the performance of students in 2006.
According to the study, the academic performance of Hauptschule and Realschule students in Bavaria developed similarly to that of students in other federal states before the reform. However, after the reform, academic performance declined drastically, particularly in reading. The authors of the study emphasize that this decline is limited to Hauptschule and Realschule students, with Gymnasium students being unaffected. The study also found that the decline in average performance in Hauptschule and Realschule was equal, but the number of particularly low-performing students increased in Hauptschule, while the proportion of particularly high-performing students decreased in Realschule.
This study highlights the negative effects of early division on academic performance and the importance of a shared learning system. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of educational reforms and the need for further research to ensure that students receive the best possible education.
