24.11.2020 – 11:33
German Adult Education Association
BonnBonn (ots)
The adult education centers in Germany have used the publication of the 16th report for children and young people as an opportunity to demand a significant increase in funding in the federal child and youth plan. You are thus confirming the recommendation of the independent commission of experts, which wrote the report on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). “Adult Education Centers make co-determination and political participation tangible. This is a crucial experience in developing a democratic consciousness, especially for children and young people. Social cohesion can only work if everyone can help shape the rules of our coexistence,” emphasizes the President of the German Adult Education Association (DVV), Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
More than half of the around 900 adult education centers nationwide address the age group of under 18s with special extracurricular learning opportunities. Many of these offers aim to support children and young people in their self-perception, to strengthen their judgment in the political opinion-forming process and to show them concrete opportunities for action and influence. “This empowerment makes a significant contribution to school success. Extra-curricular education is an important contribution to more equal opportunities and counteracts frustrations and tendencies towards radicalization”, explains DVV chairman Martin Rabanus.
With funds from the children and youth plan, adult education centers can offer 100 to 150 political youth education measures per year. Up to 3,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 26 benefit from it. The aspect of political and social participation is particularly in focus. However, the amount of funding has stagnated since 1989, so that de facto less money is available for educational offers. Adult education centers therefore lag behind their possibilities in terms of the number of measures implemented. An increase in the annual funding of measures by at least 50 percent to 375,000 euros is therefore urgently required in their view.
Especially since the beginning of the corona crisis, adult education centers have made great efforts to offer creative and interactive (digital) educational formats for children and young people. Corresponding concepts, materials and scientific articles are available in online dossiers www.volkshochschule.de collected.
At the end of November, representatives of the “young vhs” will meet for a virtual nationwide networking meeting in order to discuss innovative forms of participation under the title #SagmirdeineMeinung – Shaping the voice and participation of young people. For 2021, the DVV is planning the special project “Time for action “. Part of the funds from the child and youth plan will then be used specifically for participatory projects.
Press contact:
German Adult Education Association V.
Simone Kaucher, press officer
Tel. 0049 228 97569 11
[email protected]
Original content by: Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband, transmitted by news aktuell
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