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School closed due to the corona pandemic
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Poorly targeted and poorly coordinated distribution of money, nothing more: The Education and Science Union (GEW) has criticized the implementation of the Corona catch-up program for children and young people.
"The analysis of the catch-up measures proves that the funding often does not reach where it is most urgently needed, namely schools in difficult situations and poor children and young people," said GEW board member Anja Bensinger-Stolze.
The trade unionist referred to an investigation published on Tuesday in the publication "Die Deutsche Schule" published by the GEW.
In it, educational researchers analyze the implementation of the catch-up programs in the individual federal states.
The federal government had made one billion euros available to the states for learning support programs and another billion to increase social projects for children, young people and families.
The aim was to cushion the consequences of school closures and restricted teaching during the corona pandemic.
The authors of the comparison criticize the fact that in some countries attempts were made to allocate funds on the basis of surveys of learning levels, social indices or other school characteristics.
In other countries, however, the allocation of funds was "largely based on the 'watering can principle'" - with considerable consequences: "As a result, comparatively privileged schools such as grammar schools or private schools received funds to the same extent as socially disadvantaged schools".
Bensinger-Stolze said that the additional support provided by the programs was certainly a gain for many students.
Overall and nationwide, however, it is evident that the goals have only been achieved to a small extent.
The federal states that had already established targeted programs to support disadvantaged children before the pandemic did it best.
him/dpa