Agenda 2030 for the education policy: Mastering the challenges of transformation

However, Germany's innovative strength is weakening in international comparison: research expenditure is growing more slowly than that of competitors and the proportion of patent applications is falling. In addition, an unfavourable demographic structure and the decline in STEM skills among young people are a burden.

Immigration is helping to offset demographic trends somewhat, but the education system is not sufficiently realising the potential. More decisive than migration status is the fact that many children come from educationally disadvantaged households, do not speak German at home and attend schools where similar challenges are common. In addition, heavy social media use has a negative impact on reading skills.

Innovation and demographic challenges must be better managed to ensure a successful transformation. Education policy can play a central role in this by better supporting children from educationally disadvantaged households, strengthening innovation through better STEM education and investment in universities and promoting openness to change.

Gaps in childcare provision in daycare centres should be closed and mandatory language assessments with appropriate support programmes should be introduced for all children. Schools need an expansion of all-day offers, more multi-professional teams, the establishment of family centres, more school autonomy and comparative tests. The Startchancen programme should be significantly expanded. STEM promotion requires more maths lessons, improved career and study guidance and expanded feedback systems for children and young people. Universities should receive more research funding, expand research collaborations with industry and promote further academic training. Strengthening immigration via universities, supported by special accompanying programmes, would be particularly effective. Openness to change can be promoted through increased democratic education, the expansion of international exchange programmes and the targeted promotion of cosmopolitanism. Digital skills should be strengthened in order to ensure digital maturity and opportunities for participation.

The following measures should be implemented at the federal government level: a quality package for language support in daycare centres, the expansion of the Startchancen programme to 40 percent of schools, a national STEM action plan, expanded support programmes for university immigration, an expansion of the Erasmus programme and a further digital pact.