The German Association of Philologists is calling for a “future pact for education” ahead of the Conference of Ministers of Education on Thursday. The association expects the education ministers to set the course in education policy for the post-Corona period together with the prime ministers of the federal states, it said in a statement reported by the newspapers of the Funke media group (Wednesday editions). “Corona mercilessly shows us where we did not invest enough in our education system in the time before the pandemic,” said the association chairwoman Susanne Lin-Klitzing the Funke newspapers.
Conference of Ministers of Education, via dts news agency
“The Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs must demand a ‘future pact for education’ from the Prime Minister so that we can learn from the mistakes of the past after the pandemic.” Specifically, the Association of Philologists calls for measures in four areas: school construction, support for students and relief and digital training for teachers. The municipalities must be supported by the federal and state governments in modernizing the school buildings, according to the association. “Modern” equipment therefore includes ventilation and air filter systems, functioning and clean toilets, adequate school space and the expansion of broadband Internet. Part of a “future pact for education” must also be individual and small group support for pupils, parallel to lessons by trained staff. Students could also provide support. A “pact for the future” must also contain supplementary mentoring for children and young people in attendance and by telephone as soon as possible, in which students accompany children and young people in their day-to-day planning and learning goals. For teachers themselves, the Philologists Association wants, on the one hand, relief and, on the other hand, more support in further training. Teachers who have “designed and implemented lessons in three ways over the past few months now need relief,” according to the association. The federal states would therefore have to reduce the teaching load and attract more young teachers. In-service training for teachers should be set up as permanently secured offers for all subjects. It is now the job of the prime ministers and their finance and education ministers “to learn from yesterday’s mistakes and to keep an eye on tomorrow,” said Lin-Klitzing. The Conference of Ministers of Education will meet on Thursday.
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