Germany’s education unions, the VBE and GEW, welcome the appointment of Karin Prien as Minister for Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Young People and call for ambitious reforms to improve education in Germany. The unions express high expectations and emphasise the need for massive investment to meet existing challenges in the public education sector.
VBE welcomes appointment of a long-standing education expert
Gerhard Brand, federal president of the VBE teachers’ union, welcomed the appointment of Karin Prien as Minister for Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Young People. Brand underlined Prien’s experience and diplomatic skills, acquired over the years as a state Minister of Education, Science and Culture and head of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Culture. He considers her expertise and influence within the Union (CDU/CSU) to be valuable assets for education in Germany.
“We are delighted that Karin Prien, a long-standing education expert, is to head the Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Young People,” said Gerhard Brand. “Thanks to her outstanding expertise and diplomatic skills, she has become a spokesperson for the B-Länder, the states governed by the Union. Moreover, as a leading member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she can use her influence to promote better education at the highest level. This is a much-needed opportunity for education!”
High expectations for the Digital Pact 2.0
According to Gerhard Brand, the VBE has high hopes for the next legislature. The Digital Pact 2.0 must be kept firmly in place and federal investment must be rediscussed to enable the meaningful digitisation of schools and greater equity in education. Brand also emphasised the need for Prien’s policy initiatives to consider the financial challenges local authorities are facing.
Brand added: “Based on our experience of the new Education Minister’s skills and knowledge, we have high hopes for the next legislature. The Digital Pact 2.0 must be made permanent. Only a permanent digital pact can enable digitisation in our schools and contribute to greater equity in education. It is essential that the level of federal investment be rediscussed to achieve this.”
Investment in before- and after-school care
Brand also called for crucial decisions in the area of care outside standard school hours to make this legal right a reality. This requires a long-term approach and massive investment, in both staff and school infrastructure.
Support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
The Starting Chance programme, which aims to support students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, must be continued and extended to more schools and to the early childhood education sector. Brand stressed the need for additional resources to ensure successful integration and knowledge transfer.
GEW: time for a new era in education policy
The GEW education and science union has closely examined the black-red coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The President of the GEW and Education International Vice President for Europe, Maike Finnern, has called for a “new era” in education policy, with adequate funding and quality support, from pre-school to university, vocational and lifelong training. The GEW is advocating for investments of €130 billion from the special fund to overcome the massive backlog of investment in the education sector.
“The new government must make a clean start on education policy,” said Maike Finnern. “Education is the key to a fairer and more inclusive society.”
The union leader called on the new government to make a fresh start on education policy and to provide the necessary funding to support education projects at local, regional (Länder) and federal levels.