Education or redistribution? Discussion round for fighting poverty in Hamburg!

Education or redistribution? Discussion round for fighting poverty in Hamburg!

On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 7 p.m., a discussion event takes place in the lecture hall of the Social Economics department in Hamburg, organized by the cross -university campaign "BAföG for everyone" in cooperation with ver.di Hamburg. The event is led by Sandra Goldschmidt, the state district manager of ver.di Hamburg, and is dedicated to the topic "BAföG for everyone - with education and science to the human crisis solution!?" This discussion is particularly relevant in the current social debate about education and social justice. The focus is on the conviction that education is a fundamental right for everyone and indispensable in the fight against poverty and social inequality. This is seen in response to the increasingly neoliberal politics, which conflicts with the welfare state and thus human dignity.

education as a key? A critical consideration

The idea that education automatically represents the solution to social problems is questioned by many experts. According to an article by the Federal Center for Political Education, education is often propagated as the panacea against poverty and social inequality. However, this view could lead to a one -sided perspective that ignores the complex causes of poverty. In particular, it is argued that responsibility for one's own well -being is often illegally blamed on the socially disadvantaged individuals, while the structural and capitalist causes that lead to poverty are disregarded, as in a contribution by bpb.de is explained.

In Germany, there is a challenge that poverty is often associated with educational deficits without clearly naming the underlying causes. The recent discourse therefore not only requires an improvement in educational institutions, but also a redistribution of material resources in order to fundamentally improve the living conditions of socially disadvantaged groups. This is essential to break through the circulation of poverty and increase opportunities for all people. Education alone cannot reduce material inequality that is an essential reason for social division.

The discussion round in Hamburg will help to illuminate various perspectives and develop strategies that include both the education sector and the necessary social and economic changes. Because without a real redistribution of the wealth, the alleged “miracle weapon education” will not be effective against the pressing problems of poverty and social inequality.