A new webinar for policymakers shows how an educational registry can serve as the foundation for evidence-based education policy: Prof. Dr. Corinna Kleinert and Dr. Felix Bittmann from the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) explain the registry’s objectives, potential for generating insights, experiences, and future prospects.
The webinar was developed as part of the international LEARN (Longitudinal Educational Achievements: Reducing iNequalities) project, which is funded by the European Commission under the “Horizon Europe” program. One goal of this collaboration among leading European research institutions is to develop policy tools to effectively combat educational inequalities.
From Photos to Movies: Why Data “Islands” Aren’t Enough
The LIfBi experts point out that while the current data landscape in Germany—with cross-sectional studies such as PISA—provides good “snapshots,” it often does not allow for reliable conclusions about individual educational trajectories and the causes of change. Important questions regarding regional differences, the effectiveness of reforms, or the situation of specific at-risk groups—such as school dropouts—often remain unanswered due to insufficient sample sizes or the selectivity of voluntary longitudinal surveys. An educational registry would fill these “blind spots” by comprehensively linking data from early childhood education through school to the labor market, thereby revealing the “story” of individual educational biographies.
Learning from Our Neighbors: European Role Models
The video also takes a look at neighboring European countries where such registries have already been successfully established, in compliance with strict data protection regulations. In Austria, for example, such a registry is already being actively used for research and administrative purposes. The Netherlands, with its “Nationaal Cohortonderzoek Onderwijs” (NCO), also serves as a model for an integrated data vision.
The Vision: The Courage to Embrace Transparency and a Data-Driven Education Policy for the Future
The key message is clear: A registry of educational trajectories is technically feasible and can be implemented in compliance with data protection laws. Making the data available to researchers would also ensure continuous quality control for policymakers. “Reliable data is the foundation for addressing educational inequality,” the experts concluded.
To the webinar (30 Min / in German.)