The recent "Bildungsmonitor 2012" report determines which German regions have the best education systems. The ranking is created by the employer lobby group "Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft" and pays particular attention to economic issues such as employability and skills shortages.
The two first places in the ranking go to Saxonia and Thuringia in the east. They are followed by the two economic hubs in the south, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Hamburg, Bremen and Brandenburg were the regions which managed to improve the most compared to last year.
STEM fosters long-term growth
"The greatest growth opportunities for the German education system can be found where access to education is expanded to groups in society that are subject to 'Bildungsarmut'." The latter refers to an individual lacking educational qualifications and skills.
A finding which stands out is the significant increase in STEM (Sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduates. Their numbers have doubled between 2000 and 2010, which corresponds to 168,000 people cumulatively. The report authors forecast that this will increase Germany's long-term growth rate by 0,35%.