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IT in schools as bad as before Corona - industry expert: "WiFi as slow as smoke signals"

2021-09-14T10:07:13.339Z


Corona has revealed many deficits - also in schools. But anyone who thinks that a year and a half after the outbreak of the pandemic the IT in German schools is finally ready for digital teaching is wrong.


Corona has revealed many deficits - also in schools.

But anyone who thinks that a year and a half after the outbreak of the pandemic the IT in German schools is finally ready for digital teaching is wrong.

Munich - The Germany boss of the world's largest computer manufacturer Lenovo *, Mirco Krebs, has urgently called for improvements in view of the slow digitization of schools in Germany.

The procedures for applying for PCs or tablets would have to be "simplified quickly", the IT expert told

Merkur.de

.

In addition, the schools would need support from IT officers and a guide in which the cornerstones for the necessary infrastructure would be defined.

The Lenovo manager also sees the teachers' duty.

You have to open up more to new media, demanded Krebs, who is responsible for the region Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH) at Lenovo.

Krebs, who has just won a major order to equip schools in Munich *, also clearly criticized the IT infrastructure in many schools.

The data transmission of many WiFi networks to schools often barely reaches the “speed of smoke signals”, complained the father of two school-age children.

Digital Pact School: Shameful results

In May 2019, the federal government provided five billion euros for the modernization of schools in Germany as part of the digital school pact.

With the outbreak of the pandemic and the temporary switch from classroom teaching to homeschooling, the federal government added three more pacts for laptops for students and teachers as well as the expansion of the digital teaching infrastructure with a volume of 500 million euros each.

But the results so far have been shameful.

According to an up-to-date overview of the Conference of Ministers of Education and the Federal Ministry of Finance, the federal states together had called up just 189 million euros by the end of June.

This corresponds to a proportion of homeopathic 3.8 percent.

Digital Pact School: Only two countries are worse than Bavaria

Bavaria, of all places, is one of the worst federal states.

The Free State, which loves to party for laptops and lederhosen, is actually entitled to 778 million euros from the first digital pact.

Bavaria's Minister of Education, Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) had just called up six million euros by the end of June.

Only Saarland is worse with 100,000 euros and Thuringia, the bottom of the list.

The state government in Erfurt had not applied for a single euro by the date of the survey at the end of June.

A look across the border shows how far Germany is lagging behind in the digitization of schools.

According to calculations by the market research company IDC, the IT equipment of teachers with laptops or tablets across Europe rose by around 85 percent in the first half of 2021 compared to the previous year.

By way of comparison: in Germany, teachers' equipment with laptops and tablets increased by a manageable 18 percent.

Digitization of schools: application form with 70 pages

Experts refer to the complicated system as a reason for the slow development.

In Germany, for example, the federal states would have to submit the corresponding IT funding contracts to the federal government.

The actual school bodies are usually the municipalities.

Especially clumsy districts, cities and municipalities fear that their applications might not be waved through after all and that they will be left with the costs - and therefore prefer to hold back.

Then there is the endless paperwork.

Just over four weeks ago, the head of the Bitkom industry association, Achim Berg, complained that the funding applications for help from the digital pact comprised more than 70 pages.

Hardly anyone can get through there.

Lenovo man Mirco Krebs does not want to accept the objections and expects more initiative. As the largest economy in Europe, Germany lives off its knowledge. "If we no longer make an effort

when it comes to

IT infrastructure equipment for schools and education, our competitiveness is at stake."

* Merkur.de is part of IPPEN.MEDIA.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-09-14

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