The protests by the municipalities are having an effect: the state is releasing significantly more money for the expansion of all-day primary schools. The planned lottery system is therefore off the table.
There is a solution to the dispute over the expansion of all-day care in primary schools in Baden-Württemberg. According to SWR information, the leaders of the coalition of the Greens and CDU agreed on Monday evening in Stuttgart to provide financial support to the municipalities and to significantly increase the federal funding program.
The originally planned and much-criticised lottery system The SWR learned from participants in the budget discussions that the issue of distributing the scarce funding is now off the table. The financial injection of several hundred million euros is to be taken from the state’s budget reserves – spread over the next few years.
Fresh money also for the underfinanced clinics
The coalition also wants to invest extra money in municipal hospitals. There will be a significant increase in investment funds. The Greens and CDU will provide information on the exact amounts on Tuesday. The hospital association and the districts have been pointing out for some time that that hospitals in the country are facing a record deficit of 900 million euros this year.
Legal entitlement to all-day care in primary schools applies from 2026
Recently, there was a heated debate within the coalition about how municipalities could be better supported in expanding all-day primary schools in order to achieve the goals set by the federal government. From 2026, parents nationwide will have a legal right to all-day care in primary schools.
However, the federal government’s investment pot of 380 million euros is not filled enough to cover the huge backlog in Baden-Württemberg. Studies show that tens of thousands of places are missing here. The BW municipalities had stated that applications totaling 1.2 billion euros had been received for the funding period up to 2026.
Ministry of Culture wanted to decide on funding by lottery
Because no further money was in sight at first, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Education decided to select the mass funding applications from the municipal school authorities by lottery. This initially sparked fierce protests from the municipalities and then also from the coalition partner CDU. CDU party and parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel said on Sunday the SWR: “The educational opportunities of our children cannot be decided on the basis of the Ludo principle.”
Green Party leader Andreas Schwarz then announced that he would present a plan for this during the budget discussions on Monday. In the end, the Greens and the CDU agreed on a joint solution. According to SWR information, Education Minister Theresa Schopper (Greens) estimates the missing sum to be around 700 to 800 million euros.
Green-Black coalition wants to finalise draft budget soon
Good progress has also been made in further budget talks, it was announced late on Monday evening. On Friday, Finance Minister Danyal Bayaz (Greens) is expected to present the updated draft for the 2025/2026 budget.
Recently, the budget situation in Baden-Württemberg had eased somewhat. Thanks to a higher surplus, savings and a lower transfer to the pension fund, the coalition can now spend around 1.3 billion euros on political priorities. However, a large part of the money is already tied up, for example for the Language support package in daycare centers and primary schools.
Broadcast on Tue., 10.9.2024 5:00 a.m., Good Morning Baden-Württemberg, SWR1 Baden-Württemberg
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