- Bitkom President Berg before the education summit: “Need a sustainable financing concept for digital schools”
Whether it's fast internet, laptops for students or learning apps on smartphones: in response to the pandemic-related restrictions in 2020 and 2021, many schools pushed ahead with digitization in the short term. But with the end of the Corona restrictions, it is becoming clear that the hoped-for boost to digitization has evaporated. On a school grading scale, parents rate the status quo of digitalization, such as the availability of digital devices, with an average of 4 (4.2 – “sufficient”). Among the population as a whole, the score is slightly better (4.0) and has barely improved since the beginning of the pandemic (2020: 4.2). These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by Bitkom of 1,007 people in Germany aged 16 and over, including 215 mothers and fathers with school-age children.
Digitalization in schools turned back
“Corona has triggered a lasting digitalization effect in many companies and administrations. Schools, of all places, often returned to the old mode after the corona-related restrictions ended. Many schools are turning the wheel back to 2019.”
Achim Berg, Bitkom President
Overall, more than two thirds of parents rate the state of digitalization as “sufficient” (25 percent), “poor” (25 percent) or even “inadequate” (18 percent). 20 percent gave it at least a “satisfactory” rating, only a minority rated it “good” (9 percent) or “very good” (2 percent). At the same time, there is agreement among parents as to which areas need to be invested more heavily in the future. Almost everyone says that the technical equipment in schools is important (98 percent), followed by regular teacher training on digital topics and skills (90 percent) and the use of digital learning content such as learning apps or interactive work materials (80 percent). A good three quarters (78 percent) also demand that responsibility for schools be transferred to the federal government.
Digital pact expires. Further financing unsecured.
The federal and state governments had already made available five billion euros for the digitalization of schools in 2019 with the “Digital Pact for Schools” and increased it by 1.5 billion euros after the outbreak of the pandemic. However, the funding program will expire in May 2024 and follow-up financing is not secured.
Before the federal government's education summit (March 14th/15th), Bitkom President Berg is therefore calling for a sustainable financing concept:
“The current debate about the distribution of funds must not be at the expense of the digitalization of the education system. The traffic light coalition must now demonstrate foresight together with the states and implement their plan for a Digital Pact 2.0 that runs until 2030 - and in doing so incorporate experience from educational practice, science and the digital economy.
Source:
Bitkom
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