A new survey from the Bitkom, the German IT industry association, has revealed a persistent and significant gap between the digital aspirations for German schools and the reality experienced by parents. The findings, released Tuesday, highlight a widespread feeling that the nation’s education system is failing to adequately prepare students for the demands of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Parents, on average, assigned a barely satisfactory grade of 3.3 to the digital implementation of their children’s schooling. A concerning 17% deemed it merely “sufficient” while 10% felt it was “deficient” and 5% labeled it “inadequate”. Only a minority – 17% – rated the digital elements of education as “good” and a mere 4% as “very good.
The disconnect extends beyond superficial implementation. The majority (85%) expressed the opinion that schools are not sufficiently equipping children and adolescents for the digital realities of the modern workplace. This sentiment fuels a powerful demand for increased investment; two-thirds of parents (65%) are calling for a substantial increase in funding specifically allocated to school digitalization initiatives.
Beyond merely incorporating digital tools and platforms, parents are advocating for the deeper integration of digital literacy throughout the curriculum. A resounding 79% support embedding media literacy and digital competency training into core subjects. There’s a particular appetite for practical skills, with 24% of parents expressly desiring their children to learn about Artificial Intelligence within the school environment. Furthermore, a significant 62% believe that computer science should be a mandatory subject for all students.
However, the survey underscores a crucial impediment to progress: a perceived lack of training among teachers. An overwhelming majority – 69% – believe that most educators are insufficiently equipped to impart essential media and digital competence. This has led to a strong majority – 63% – advocating for mandatory professional development programs focused on digital skills for all teaching staff.
The survey, conducted by Bitkom Research, polled 1,004 parents of children between the ages of six and eighteen via telephone during the 22nd to 27th week of 2025. The findings expose a critical challenge for policymakers: addressing not only the technological infrastructure but also the pedagogical preparation necessary to ensure German students are truly ready for the future. The gap between expectation and reality risks creating a generation ill-equipped for the demands of a digital economy and potentially exacerbating existing societal inequalities.
