Digital pact 2.0: Saarländer schools are urgently waiting for financing!

Digital pact 2.0: Saarländer schools are urgently waiting for financing!

The discussion about the financing of digital pact 2.0 is currently in full swing. Christine Streichert-Clivot, the President of the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) and Saarland Minister of Education, has again emphasized how urgently an agreement with the federal government is required in this matter. In particular, it emphasizes that the digital pact should be started in the coming year, but so far it is unclear what the necessary financial support will look like. Streichert-Clivot said: "That doesn't make it easier for us", considering the lack of suggestions in the federal budget for next year.

At the moment, the budget negotiations are underway in the federal states, in which planning security is crucial for parents, pupils and school authorities. "Digitization is progressing with large and dynamic steps," said the KMK President. This makes it clear that this topic is not just theoretical nature, but also has a significant impact on everyday school life.

financing questions and inadequate offers

The offers of the Federal Minister of Education Bettina Stark-Watzinger were rejected by the countries as inadequate. In her previous proposal, Stark-Watzinger stipulates that the digital pact 2.0 will be equipped with up to five billion euros by 2030, whereby the federal states would have to wear half of the sum. However, this structure means that the first digital pact was financed 90 percent of the expenditure for the digitization of the federal government, which should no longer be guaranteed. String clivot comments: "We have to get into sustainable financing. We will no longer be able to get out of digitization."

A central point is the need to ensure a seamless transition solution from the first digital pact to the new package. Not only the physical infrastructure such as laptops and digital plates is needed, but also support for the administrative tasks in schools. It is therefore of immense importance that the framework for successful digital transformation in school is created.

new approaches in class

Streichert-Clivot also clearly speaks for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in class, already in primary school. She argues that AI has long been part of the everyday life of many children and should therefore also be integrated into the classroom. Above all, she sees the need that children are critical of the content they consume, regardless of whether they come from their parents' house or digital platforms.

The KMK President emphasizes that primary school is not an isolated space, but that children come into contact with digital technology early on. Therefore, digital education must become a fundamental cultural technology at school. This important development also requires that the teachers receive further training in the use of AI-supported learning platforms in order to save time in the preparation for lessons, which can then be used for individual learning.

Streichert-Clivot expresses the desire that the upcoming conference of the Minister of Education serves as a platform for constructive discussions on Thursday, in which Stark-Watzinger also participates. She describes the minister's participation as a "good signal", which could possibly pave the way for an agreement. The upcoming negotiations will show whether it will be possible to provide the necessary financial means and structural mechanisms for digital education in German schools.