Lichtenfels district is now a “digital educational region” Ministry of Culture awards seal of quality

Lichtenfels is now a digital educational region / Photo: Lichtenfels district

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LICHTENFELS (11/06/2020). “The Covid pandemic makes it clear to us that digitization is becoming increasingly important, especially in the education sector. The district of Lichtenfels has set the right course in this area and this has now also been recognized by the state “, comments District Administrator Christian Meißner:” We are very pleased that the Bavarian Ministry of Culture has awarded us the ‘Digital Educational Region’ seal of quality. “

The announcement that the application was successful came in early April. Due to the pandemic, the Ministry of Culture wanted to wait until the situation had eased before awarding the award. But the celebratory handover of the “Digital Educational Region” seal of quality planned for October 23, 2020 was also canceled at short notice due to the Corona. District President Heidrun Piwernetz has now sent the seal to the individual educational regions in Upper Franconia – all districts and independent cities received the award – and thanked them for their commitment.

“In the field of school education, we can and must lay the foundations so that people in Bavaria will continue to benefit from technological developments in the future and, as winners of digitization, can actively help shape them. I consider this to be extremely important for our region, ”emphasizes the district administrator. In August 2018, the district was certified as an “educational region”. But one wanted to advance this further. With a view to the future, it is important to design the educational landscape in such a way that young people can find their way around a digitized world and participate in digital developments as well as possible. “Excellent digital education is a location factor,” Meißner emphasizes. With regard to the demographic change, the district administrator continues: “Our district must offer a first-class educational landscape so that we are and remain attractive to families of the skilled workers urgently needed here and so that they can see prospects here. Digital education is a key issue here. “

However, digital education does not only mean equipping school classes with laptops, tablets or SmartBoards, but also conveying core competencies, using the devices effectively as work equipment in the classroom or making classes more vivid and practical, the district administrator emphasizes. It is also intended to increase individual support. Teachers also needed digital support for this. Preparing for the later job market plays an important role at school.

Lifelong learning from the point of view of digitization – this is to be promoted and advanced in the “digital education region” in the Lichtenfels district with a network of various specialists, institutions, schools and working groups under the motto “In the region, from the region, for the region” , said District Administrator Meißner. He says a big thank you to everyone who gets involved.

The district administrator points out that in the “Digital Education Region” project the För­der­pro­gram­me of the Free State of Bavaria and the federal government play an important role in supporting school expenditure providers. One example of this is the improvement of IT equipment, in particular for the introduction of the digital classroom in schools and when setting up / improving digital networking in school buildings.

According to Meißner, the district has for the schools for which he is the material expense manager, as part of the implementation of the Digital budgets for the digital classroom Investments totaling around 325,000 euros made. A total of: 78 notebooks with accessories, 155 tablets with accessories, 40 PCs with accessories, three interactive board systems with accessories, 26 projectors and 26 document cameras

When implementing the Budgets for integrated specialist classrooms at vocational schools Investments totaling around 161,000 euros were made for 48 PCs with accessories, 17 projectors, a 3D printer, photo equipment, eye trackers with accessories and retrofitting a CNC control.

From the program Digitale Bildungsinfrastruktur (dBIR) The district has a further 1.6 million euros available. Plans are currently underway with an engineering office to expand WiFi and networks in schools for implementation in 2021. Further IT purchases are planned.

With funds from the funding program Son­der­bud­get Leih­ge­rä­te Investments totaling around 180,000 euros were made (for the procurement of mobile devices to lend to students during corona-related school closings – afterwards integration of the devices into the school network). A total of 160 tablets with accessories and 62 notebooks with accessories were purchased. Further purchases of loan equipment are planned as soon as the funding is increased, informs District Administrator Christian Meißner.

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