The debate about evaluation in the education system, in other words the systematic assessment of organisational structures, teaching and learning processes and performance criteria with a view to improving quality, did not start in Germany until the end of the 1980s, later than in other European countries. Although the actual concept of evaluation may not yet have been institutionalised before, this does not mean that no control mechanisms existed. State supervisory authorities for schools and higher education, statistical surveys carried out by the Federal Statistical Office and by the Statistical Offices of the Länder as well as educational research in institutes that are subordinate to federal or Land ministries or jointly funded by the Federal Government and the Länder are used for quality assurance and evaluation purposes.
Within the school system, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK), in the so-called Konstanzer Beschluss of October 1997, took up quality assurance processes that had already been introduced in several Länder in the school sector and declared these a central issue for its work. Since then the Länder have developed evaluation instruments in the narrower sense which may be employed depending on the objective. In 2003 and 2004, educational standards were adopted for the primary sector, the Hauptschulabschluss and the Mittlerer Schulabschluss. In October 2012 the Standing Conference has resolved educational standards for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife (general higher education entrance qualification) in German and mathematics and in follow-on courses in the foreign languages English and French.
In June 2006, the Standing Conference adopted a comprehensive strategy for educational monitoring which was revised in 2015.
The evaluation of research and teaching has been provided for in the higher education sector since the amendment to the Framework Act for Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz) of 1998. The evaluation of study courses and subjects is also established in the higher education legislation of most Länder. In a resolution of March 2002, the Standing Conference laid down the future development of quality assurance for all Länder and institutions of higher education; in the long-term, this should lead to an overall concept for quality assurance, taking account of all types of higher education institution and all study courses. With the introduction of the accreditation of study courses, the setting up of the quality assurance for all Länder and higher education institutions, see the section on quality assurance in the tertiary sector.
Besides the common structural guidelines of the Länder for the accreditation of Bachelor’s and Master’s study courses (Ländergemeinsame Strukturvorgaben für die Akkreditierung von Bachelor- und Masterstudiengängen), the 2004 Standards for Teacher Training in the Educational Sciences (Standards für die Lehrerbildung: Bildungswissenschaften) and the May 2013 edition of the common content requirements for subject-related studies and subject-related didactics in teacher training which apply to all Länder (Ländergemeinsame inhaltliche Anforderungen für die Fachwissenschaften und Fachdidaktiken in der Lehrerbildung) serve as the basis for the accreditation and evaluation of teacher-training courses. For more information on quality assurance and quality development through the Standards for Teacher Training and the common content requirements for subject-related studies and subject-related didactics, see the sections on initial teacher education and on reforms in the education sector.
Pursuant to Article 91b, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) the Federation and the Länder may mutually agree to cooperate for the assessment of the performance of the education system in international comparison and in drafting relevant reports and recommendations. An important element of this collaboration and also of the comprehensive strategy of the Standing Conference on educational monitoring is the joint reporting of the Federation and of the Länder.
Specific legislative framework
Primary and secondary education
Land authority to carry out academic supervision is derived from the state sovereignty over schools enshrined in the Basic Law (Grundgesetz). This states that the entire school system is under the supervision of the state (Art. 7, Paragraph 1). Detailed provisions are set out in the Education Acts and regulations of the Länder. The school legislation of most Länder provides for measures of external and internal evaluation beyond state supervision. The full texts of the current Education Acts are available on the website of the Standing Conference.
In-company vocational training
Quality assurance in in-company vocational training is achieved mainly through laws and regulations and through the recommendations of the board of the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz ) places a high value on quality assurance and quality development. Within the framework of their activities the vocational training boards of the competent authorities (Section 79, paragraph 1, sentence 2 Berufsbildungsgesetz) and of the Länder committees for vocational education and training (Section 83 paragraph 1, sentence 2 Berufsbildungsgesetz) are thus also responsible for steadily improving the quality of vocational education.
Higher education
Under Section 59 of the Framework Act for Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz) and the higher education legislation in place in the Länder, higher education institutions are subject to state supervision which is exercised by the Länder. The full texts of the current laws for higher education institutions are also available on the website of the Standing Conference.
The evaluation of research and teaching has been provided for in the higher education sector since the amendment to the Framework Act for Higher Education of 1998. Higher education legislation of most Länder now includes regulations regarding both internal and external evaluation.
Continuing education
In their laws and statutory provisions for the promotion of continuing education, Federation and Länder have formulated general minimum requirements of a structural and quantitative nature for institutions of continuing education. Furthermore, some Länder have adopted specific quality assurance standards in their statutory provisions. In the area of distance learning, the Law on the Protection of Participants in Distance Education (Fernunterrichtsschutzgesetz), as well as the control by the Central Office for Distance Learning of the Länder (Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht der Länder), assure the quality and further development of the offer.
In the field of regulated continuing vocational education, the recommendation of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training from March 2014 on key points of the structure and quality assurance of continuing vocational education in accordance with the Vocational Training Act and Handicrafts Code (Handwerksordnung – HwO) are decisive when determining the level, standardisation and quality assurance.