Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- The OECD's PISA 2025 study released today shows Germany's reading and math scores continuing to decline, prompting the SPD parliamentary group to push for expanded funding of its Startchancen-Programm and a new early-childhood quality law.
PISA 2025 shows Germany's core competencies eroding further
Saskia Esken, the SPD's rapporteur for school education, said Germany's school system delivers only middling results in international comparison, with performance in reading and math continuing to drop. She noted that social background determines educational success in Germany more strongly than in almost any other industrialized country, and that disadvantaged children are the ones falling furthest behind.
Startchancen-Programm currently reaches only 10% of German schools
The federal government's flagship education initiative directs an additional €1 billion in federal funds annually over ten years toward disadvantaged students. Esken said this coverage could be expanded to 30% to 50% of schools if financing is broadened through higher taxation on very large fortunes and inheritances.
New Kita-Qualitätsentwicklungsgesetz extends the model to early childhood
The SPD is applying the same targeted-funding approach to early education through the newly introduced Startchancen- und -Qualitätsentwicklungsgesetz (SCQEG). The law establishes nationwide quality standards for childcare, requires early assessment of children's developmental progress, and mandates targeted language and development support where needed.
Legal entitlement to all-day primary care creates room for afternoon tutoring
Esken cited the legal right to all-day care in primary schools as a mechanism that supports working parents while creating additional capacity for targeted academic support outside regular class hours.
SPD demands fee-free childcare funded by higher taxes on top earners
The party wants to eliminate parental fees for early childhood education over time and argues that high incomes and large assets must contribute more to public funding, with the additional revenue directed toward educational equity programs.