The United Services Union (ver.di) joins the appeal published today (March 14, 2023) by the foundations (Bertelsmann Foundation, Deutsche Telekom Foundation, Karg Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, Wübben Foundation) and is appealing to the Federal Chancellor and the country heads to set up a national education summit and make education a top priority.
ver.di has been pointing out the problems in the education system for years, which begin in early childhood education. After a qualitative and quantitative expansion initiative in the early 2000s and the introduction of legal entitlements, the shortage of skilled workers in day-care centers has been apparent since 2010 and is now hitting us mercilessly. Hundreds of thousands of daycare places are missing and the daycare centers cannot fulfill their educational mandate due to staffing that is not suitable for children. This emergency is sweeping through primary and secondary schools. One consequence is that many young people still leave school without a school certificate.
“Good equipment in educational institutions depends on the financial strength of the federal states and municipalities and that means that the working conditions for the educators as well as the opportunities and possibilities of the children and young people continue to depend on the place of residence and social background. That’s a scandal! We therefore call on the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government to overcome federal trench warfare and to tackle education for children and young people as a common national task,” explains the deputy ver.di chairwoman Christine Behle.
