Hamburg Minister Advancing Digital Agreement - Environment Minister in Focus
Minister Julia Willie Hamburg Advocates for Advancement of Digital Pact II in Lower Saxony
Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg has urged the federal government to expedite the implementation of Digital Pact II, following reports that many schools in Lower Saxony are still lagging behind in digital development. Approximately 3,000 applications from the initial Digital Pact I remain unattended in the state, with the relaunch of the program expected to provide an annual budget of one billion euros for Lower Saxony alone.
In a statement made to the Oldenburg "Nordwest-Zeitung," Hamburg emphasized the need for digital advancement in schools, stating that while most schools have recently gained access to broadband networks, there are still numerous institutions that require enhancement.
In addition, the Green politician announced Lower Saxony's intention to introduce a social index for distributing funds within the current legislative period. Currently only utilized in the "Start-Chance" program, this index would determine additional personnel or resources based on social criteria.
Regarding antisemitism, Hamburg expressed her intention to collaborate with the Protestant Church to jointly award a school seal, an honor the church has bestowed alone until now. She is open to suggestions to name schools after Holocaust victims, decisions that will be made locally, such as a "Margit Friedländer School," which Hamburg described as a "beautiful symbol."
Hamburg expressed her opposition to the nationwide uniform summer holidays suggested by educational associations, citing potential traffic chaos as a concern.
A new PISA study is scheduled for release in early summer. Hamilton expects the measures implemented in recent years to have long-term effects, based on the upcoming study results.
While the current status of Digital Pact II in Lower Saxony and its plans for funding and implementation are not well documented, it is expected that Lower Saxony will continue to implement the pact by allocating available federal funds to local schools, prioritizing broadband and digital tools, and ensuring teacher training, based on the structure of Germany's digital education funding and the ongoing emphasis on digital transformation in education.
Vocational training will play a crucial role in the implementation of Digital Pact II, given the emphasis on improving digital advancement in schools across EC countries. Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg's call for expedited implementation could pave the way for policy-and-legislation changes in vocational training programs, focusing on digital education-and-self-development. General news outlets should keep an eye on this issue as it unfolds within politics.
