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Berlin (dpa) - Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for investments in schools and education during and after the corona pandemic.
Committed school management, great teachers and pioneering ideas were not enough, he said on Monday at the presentation of the German School Prize 20/21 Special.
«In order for schools to develop, effectively promote their students and mitigate the negative consequences of closings, they now need the support of society and politics.
You now need attention, commitment, and money too. "
Combating the pandemic will increase public debt, said Steinmeier.
"The cash drop will come - but we mustn't save on education."
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With the German School Prize 20/21 Special from the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Heidehof Foundation in cooperation with ARD and the «Zeit» publishing group, the best school concepts developed during the corona pandemic were awarded.
The prize was awarded in seven categories such as “promoting educational equality”, “implementing digital solutions” or “enabling self-organized learning”.
The seven award-winning schools from Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia each received 10,000 euros.
Eleven other schools received a recognition award of 5,000 euros each.
"Despite all efforts, the pandemic was a wake-up call for many schools," says the chairman of the board of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Joachim Rogall. "Through courage, zest for action and creativity, these schools have become a laboratory of ideas for a sustainable school system in the past few months." This was proven by the award winners' concepts. "Now it is important to benefit from this experience and to give the schools the freedom they need for their individual challenges, for example when using human resources."
Steinmeier said that he had complained even before the pandemic that educational success in this country still depends far too much on origin and financial possibilities.
It is bitter that differences in performance in the Corona period could now become even greater.
«We cannot accept that!
It is an appeal to education policy, a call to action!
A first step has been taken with the Federal Government's action program.
More must follow. "
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Everything must now be done to ensure that as many children and young people as possible can return to their classrooms as soon as possible and catch up on the material they have missed.
Whether it is about the quick vaccination of teachers, ventilation systems, test strategies, digital upgrading or tutoring - there is no time to lose.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210510-99-540402 / 2
Background to the award and the award winners