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Student in the library: the coalition agreement promises "student aid that is not dependent on parents"
Photo: Tom Werner / Getty Images
Congratulations are collected in the timeline: The designated Minister for Research and Education, Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP), is largely welcomed on Twitter.
According to the coalition agreement, the future government is planning significant changes for students, trainees and the scientific community.
A lot should also improve for daycare children, schoolchildren, teachers and educators.
The traffic light promises "education and opportunities for everyone" - and with it, also earns cautious applause from the associations.
What will be decisive will be what follows from the declarations of intent, how they can be financed and whether the reforms work as expected.
The most important projects:
The
early childhood education
should be strengthened.
The Merkel Government's Good Day Care Act is to be evaluated and nationwide standards are to be laid down by the end of the election period.
The focus here: a better care ratio, strengthening of language training and more all-day offers.
Children and young people should
get
better educational
opportunities with the program “Starting Chances”
, regardless of the social situation of their parents.
More than 4000 general and vocational schools with a high proportion of socially disadvantaged pupils are to be given particular support - for example with more staff and better equipment.
The
schools
will support faster and less bureaucratic in digitization with the "Digital Compact 2.0", as it was previously the case.
Concrete solutions are to be worked out at the beginning of next year.
There are plans to offer on-site service, advice and networking, as well as the maintenance and acquisition of new technology, freedom from digital learning resources for pupils in need, and the development of teaching and learning software.
Something like a digital pact is to be set up
for the
universities
with the federal program “Digital University”, which is intended to promote concepts for the expansion of innovative teaching, qualification measures, digital infrastructures and cybersecurity.
Full-year
students and trainees
are to receive a parent-independent "guarantee amount within the framework of basic child benefits" - i.e. the former child benefit - directly.
The
Bafög
should become more independent of parents and the amounts should be increased, especially because of rising housing costs.
The relatives should be able to earn more, the age limits should be lowered and changing subjects should be made easier.
There will be more money for teaching in the future, as the financial volume for the future contract for teaching and studying is to be "dynamized" as early as 2022, in line with the Pact for Research and Innovation, as stated in the coalition agreement.
In other words: the federal government gives more funding every year.
The controversial
science contract law
is to be reformed.
"We want to significantly increase the plannability and commitment in the post-doc phase and create prospects for alternative careers at an early stage," says the contract.
The working conditions and career opportunities of young scientists were recently heavily criticized under the hashtag #IchBinHanna.
More money and better collaboration
The coalitionists promise more money overall for their projects. One wants to "increase public education spending significantly together with the federal states." It becomes a little more concrete in the field of science. The share of government spending on research and development should be increased to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2025. Most recently, according to the Federal Statistical Office, it was 3.2 percent.
The coalition parties SPD, Greens and FDP want and have to solve a core problem: the primacy of the federal states in education issues.
A "cooperation requirement" is planned with all those involved, starting with the school authority through the federal states to the federal government.
To this end, there will once again be an education summit and a working group - after all, the federal government is relatively powerless here.
"If necessary, we offer talks about an amendment to the Basic Law," says the coalition agreement.
"Now we hope that action will follow"
The educational associations welcome the project. "Cooperation at all levels is an important step towards more equal opportunities," comments Udo Beckmann, Federal Chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBE). However, GEW chairman Maike Finnern criticizes the fact that the coalition agreement remains vague with regard to the question of how the projects are to be financed in the future. "In view of the fact that the three coalitionists are sticking to the debt brake, it remains to be seen how all projects can be successfully implemented." From the VBE's point of view, the coalitionaries also fail to make concrete plans as to how new, urgently needed educational staff can be recruited for daycare centers and schools.
The associations are nevertheless satisfied overall - but warn that the words must now be followed by deeds.
The German Student Union (DSW) also welcomed the Bafög reform, which according to DSW General Secretary Matthias Anbuhl is "absolutely overdue".
He demanded that it be "heavily financed and, above all, launched very quickly".
The University Rectors' Conference also assessed the planned changes favorably.
"Now we hope that action will follow," said President Peter-André Alt.
