The Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD) released a detailed report on Tuesday, comparing educational systems of countries around the world.
Just because the grass always seems to be a bit greener on the other side, The Local took a look at ways the Germans tend to excel – and ways they fall behind.
1. Teachers’ pay
Photo: DPA
Many in the United States grumble about teachers' being paid badly, and not without reason – US teachers are among the worst paid within the OECD relative to their qualifications.
But German teachers have one of the highest statutory salaries among OECD countries, with starting salaries for primary to upper secondary school teachers being second only to Luxembourg.
The average primary school teacher in Germany, for example, made the equivalent of $60,618 (€57,159) in 2013 while that number was $51,334 (€48,405) in the United States.
In England, the average salary was even lower – $42,399 (€39,980).
“Uncompetitive salaries will make it harder to attract the best candidates to the teaching profession, especially as the teaching workforce is ageing, with 35 percent of secondary school teachers at least 50 years old in 2013,” the OECD report states.
2. Early childhood education
Photo: DPA
Photo: DPA
A smaller portion of the German population goes off to university than the OECD average, but this probably has to do with the country's system of vocational schooling. And even those in Germany without a university diploma have good chances of finding employment.
Nearly 90 percent of Germans with a university degree are employed, compared to the OECD average of 83 percent. And 78 percent of those with the equivalent of a high school education were employed, compared to the OECD average of 74 percent.
In the US, 80 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree were employed while 68 percent of those with a high school diploma had a job.
In the United Kingdom, 85 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients were employed, and 83 percent of those with the equivalent of a high school education were in work.
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