GEW puts pressure on coalition ahead of budget deliberations

Created: 05/23/2022 05:26

A teacher stands in front of the blackboard in class.

© Marijan Murat/dpa/symbol image

Concerned about a shortage of skilled workers, Prime Minister Kretschmann wants to invest more in schools.

In addition, Ukrainian children have to be cared for and taught.

But it is not yet clear whether the Greens and the CDU can actually make a lot of money for education.

Stuttgart - The education union GEW is trying to increase the pressure on the green-black coalition before the budget deliberations.

"The next state budget will decide whether the first green Minister of Education in Baden-Württemberg can show a successful balance sheet in 2026 or whether green education policy will be voted out," said Monika Stein, state head of the Education and Science Union, of the German Press Agency in Stuttgart.

The previous record of the coalition and Minister Theresa Schopper (Greens) was disappointing.

Concepts for the implementation and financing of the most important reform projects were lacking.

These include the all-day expansion and inclusion, in which children with and without disabilities learn together at school.

"There is still little evidence of the quality offensive promised in 2017 in the schools and the hoped-for innovation boost from a Green Minister of Education has not materialized so far," Stein complained.

The leaders of the Greens and CDU will meet on Monday evening to discuss the next double budget.

Under the direction of Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), the coalition in the Stuttgart State Ministry wants to set the cornerstones of the budget for the years 2023/2024.

Kretschmann had already explained that there was little scope for additional spending.

But he wants more money to flow into climate protection and education.

The GEW sees numerous areas in education in which more money should flow.

The approximately 4,000 temporary teachers would also have to be paid over the summer holidays.

In addition, it is necessary to permanently finance the more than 1,000 training places for refugees.

Stein pointed out that the number of births increased.

"Reports that apparently fell on deaf ears in the Ministry of Science, because otherwise additional study places for primary school and special education would have to be created," said the trade unionist.

Regarding the budget, she said: "We also know that in uncertain times like these we have to be careful about our economy.

Every euro invested in day-care centers and schools brings such a high interest rate that the financial markets could only dream of.” dpa