Holter: No exemption from school fees in healthcare professions
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Stand: 06.06.2022
– – –Helmut Holter (Die Linke), Minister for Education, Youth and Sport of Thuringia.
Source: Martin Schutt/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/archive image
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If you want to be trained as a physiotherapist or speech therapist at an independent school, you now have to pay school fees again. This recently caused harsh criticism – and will be an issue in the state parliament this week. The minister responsible defended his actions.
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FAccording to Minister of Education Helmut Holter (Left), there is currently no scope for the reintroduction of free tuition for health professions at free schools. “I regret that the approximately 1,000 students are hit hard by this – but unfortunately I have no other option than to do so,” said Holter of the German Press Agency. Everyone who is now calling for the decision to be reversed “should ensure that I can get the money for it”.
The leader of the CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament, Mario Voigt, reacted with outrage. “I expect Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow that his government will immediately free up school fees for the health professions.” The minority government is driving young people out of the country because they would rather pay 1.2 million euros for the promotion of cargo bikes, but cancel 1.8 million euros for trainees in the health professions.
In mid-May it became known that trainees in health professions at free schools – such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists or speech therapists – would have to pay school fees again. The assumption of costs by the state was only introduced last year. The Ministry of Education justified its decision last week with a lack of funds after the state parliament’s savings decision. In the education department he had to save 74 million euros, said Holter. He received harsh criticism from the opposition.
According to Holter, the exemption from school fees was a voluntary service. “Of course, I first have to accept my legal obligation to the other independent schools,” he said. “And then we have to see if there is more money left – which cannot be seen from today’s perspective.” He has no way of saving elsewhere.
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