More comparative tests in schools to come

The quality of education in Berlin’s schools is set to improve. (File photo)

In future, pupils’ progress is to be assessed regularly and much more frequently than before in Berlin’s schools.

The education authorities intend to collect such data systematically and on a mandatory basis for every pupil in every school year – for example, as part of standardised tests in subjects such as reading or mathematics. The Senate has approved a draft amendment to the Education Act to this effect. 

Focus on data-driven school development

According to Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU), the aim is to analyse pupils’ learning progress more reliably, identify support needs at an earlier stage, and assess the effectiveness of educational measures. The draft bill will now be forwarded to the House of Representatives for further debate and decision-making. According to Günther-Wünsch, it is not only the legal basis for data-driven school development. It also contains provisions on transitions to secondary schools, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and digital class registers, school reports and pupil ID cards. 

Senator Günther-Wunsch: "This will ensure our schools are fit for the future"

Ultimately, the amendment is intended to help improve the quality of school education, according to Günther-Wünsch. "This will make our schools fit for the future." The new law also includes new measures to tackle truancy. Pupils who are frequently absent, who submit medical certificates for alleged illnesses and whose parents cannot be contacted, will in future be referred to a public health officer. This does not apply to chronically ill children and young people, emphasised Günther-Wünsch. Rather, it concerns absences that are difficult to explain and suspected cases of child welfare risks.