Following the poor results in the Pisa studies, the president of the VdK social association, Verena Bentele, has criticized the federal government for failing to achieve educational equality. Bentele told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, “Children who grow up in poverty have worse educational opportunities. This has been known for decades.”
According to Bentele, families with low incomes often lack the funds for school supplies, tutoring, or laptops. Furthermore, these issues are compounded by limited living space and the psychological stress resulting from financial concerns. The latest Pisa study indicates that approximately one in three 15-year-olds in Germany does not meet the minimum competency levels in mathematics and reading, with socio-economic status explaining 19 percent of the performance differences.
Consequently, Bentele is calling for increased support for impoverished families. While investments in kindergartens and schools are necessary, she asserts that current efforts are far from sufficient. She also criticized the proposed cut to the monthly direct cash subsidy for children and young people affected by poverty. “Instead of cutting funds for children, we finally need a systemic change,” she stated.
The VdK is demanding, among other things, comprehensive, full-day schools providing free meals, as well as free technological equipment for classroom use.
