Digital Pact 2.0: Unity without commitment

Shortly before the remaining traffic light government came into office in an executive capacity only, the federal and state governments agreed in principle to continue the digital agreement. It remains to be seen when he will arrive. Cem Ozdemir (Greens), who has also served as federal education minister since the FDP left the federal government, called the agreement a “success” at a federal press conference this morning. This was a goal for his – presumably short – tenure. Years of negotiations under her predecessor Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) had previously failed to produce any results.

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According to Izdemir, everyone involved was concerned about the case and the well-being of the students. The Joint Declaration forms the basis for the successor government to immediately ensure plan security. The federal government wants to provide 2.25 billion euros for infrastructure, and the federal states are to invest an additional 500 million euros on top of the already planned two billion euros.

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New teaching and learning concepts are in focus

In addition to digital infrastructure and tools, the new Digital Pact 2.0 will also focus on new teaching and learning concepts, Ozdemir said. However, this is a core state responsibility. The third aspect is to support an initiative for quality development in digital teacher training with appropriate research – the federal government wants to make 250 million euros available for this. Ultimately, 5 billion euros will be available – from 2025 to 2030.

Schleswig-Holstein Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) welcomed the joint declaration of intent of the CDU and CSU states in Berlin: “We completely agree that the agreement has almost existential importance for our country.” It is equally about the viability and economic future of liberal democracy. He also expressed regret for the delay in this. “We basically lost a legislature,” Preen said. It will probably take until 2025 to actually submit applications as part of the intended expansion.

Stefanie Hubig, Education Minister in Rhineland-Palatinate, who negotiated for the SPD-led states, says this Friday the 13th brings with it a clear commitment to further commitment to educational digitalization, including shared responsibility of federal, state and local governments. Has come. She was happy that the impasse on the digital agreement would end. In schools it is no longer a question of whether schools should digitize and tackle subject and teaching integration, but rather a question of how. “We need new equipment, we need more modern equipment,” Hubig said. But further training and knowledge of teachers is another urgent issue that needs attention in the coming years, like the issue of social media skills, even outside schools.

Willingness to compromise on both sides

Christine Streichert-Clivot (SPD), President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Education in the Saarland, sees the digital agreement with changes as an urgent need. The sustainability of the digital agreement is also about making people fit for the digital world with artificial intelligence, not just about strengthening user skills. The dynamics of digitalization is also a challenge for teachers: “Our teachers need support in using it effectively.”

Both sides would move towards each other, which would eventually lead to a unanimous decision in the conference of ministers of education and cultural affairs. An administrative agreement is now being drafted to make the presented agreement binding. “Anyone who starts now can be confident in the fact that we have reached an agreement that is not detrimental to funding,” says Streichert-Clivot. This would mean that school authorities, usually municipalities, could now begin concrete procurement.

However, a residual risk remains: If the future federal government wishes to position itself differently in terms of content, the projects will at least not be counter-financed by the federal government – ​​because only the future government can But the current one will no longer pass the federal budget. However, according to Federal Education Minister Ozdemir, current Finance Minister Jörg Küçük (SPD) has indicated his approval of the agreement that has now been reached. How much money will be received and when it will be received is also not clear at the moment.

Criticism of former minister

“This would also have been the job of the previous home management,” said union coordinator and Schleswig-Holstein minister Karin Prien, clearly criticizing former federal education minister Stark-Watzinger (FDP). He called for a permanent and credible, joint commitment to the digitalization of the education system: “The amount of federal involvement falls far behind the original objective of the traffic light and what the states also consider appropriate.”

(mho)