Additional Funds for Schools Are Welcome, But the Quality of Schooling Is Decisive

With the education initiative “DigitalPakt Schule”, which promotes the development of digital skills among school students, policymakers are aiming to provide schools across Germany with digital technologies over the course of the next five years. In total, 5.5 billion euros have been earmarked for this purpose. ZEW education economist Friedhelm Pfeiffer explains why equipping schools with digital technologies is crucial and why money alone doesn’t help.

Why is it important for children and adolescents to learn from an early age how to use digital technologies as well as to handle hard- and software, for instance, by learning how to programme devices themselves?

In school, students are given the opportunity to develop an understanding of the basics of natural sciences. For example, they discuss the cellular structures and properties of bacteria in the classroom in a way that is appropriate for their age. It seems therefore only consistent to incorporate digital technologies into the syllabus. Schools should be able to teach children the structure and functions of a computer, and to help students to gain an understanding of the properties and nature of algorithms. Since new digital technologies are applied in almost all spheres of the economy and in everyday life, it is crucial that all students have the opportunity to learn to understand these technologies.

Modern education needs to focus on teaching children and adolescents fundamental technological competencies in order to prepare them for the real world. These include programming skills as well as personal development and the development of values like persistence, patience and a sense for honesty and fairness when working with or using digital techniques. Many of the competencies students learn in a playful way at school remain with them later in live. It is, however, not necessary for all children to acquire comprehensive and detailed knowledge in the field of programming, just as we do not need the knowledge and skills of a car manufacturer to learn how to drive a car.

With approximately 40,000 schools in Germany, each school will receive an average amount of 137,000 euros. Given that there are currently around 11 million students in Germany, this constitutes a per capita sum of 500 euros. Is this a policy of half measures, or can we expect lasting improvements from the “DigitalPakt Schule”? Will this money suffice to make our children fit for the digital age?

It is true that at first glance, the funding amount for “DigitalPakt Schule” does seem rather small. Given the total costs of around 6,900 euros per schoolchild a year (2015; Source: National report on education 2018), the increase in expenditure on schools by an annual average of 100 euros per child is a rather modest one. However, in terms of the amount of material expenses reported (including teaching materials), which amount to 900 euros per child, the initiative constitutes an increase of 11 per cent per year. Whether this will suffice depends on multiple factors. The purchase of new teaching materials needs careful consideration, given that digital technologies are constantly evolving. The devices we buy today may be outdated after only a few years. Reflecting on the impact of these planned additional resources in the internet age, we should not forget that the overall quality of schooling remains a decisive factor. The overall quality is unlikely to depend on additional gadgets. Nevertheless, the initiative “DigitalPakt Schule” should contribute to enabling all schoolchildren to use innovative digital technologies in an age-appropriate manner.

The current strategy of “DigitalPakt Schule” proposes that each school should decide for itself what it wants to spend the education funds on. Is this a sensible provision or would it be better to establish uniform conditions for schools/types of schools?

From my point of view this is a sensible provision, as each school has specific needs, and teachers are usually better able to identify those needs than outsiders. While it may be appropriate for one school to invest in new devices, another school may see a greater need in training its teaching staff in the use of technologies. It is, however, essential to agree on ethical and moral standards with regard to the use of technology in the classroom. It should also be ensured that the allocation of funds is designed in such a way that is it in line with the principle of economic feasibility, and that it provides all schools with a reasonable minimum of resources.

How are our European neighbours faring in the area of digitalisation in schools? Are there already best practices from which we can learn? Has Germany been lagging behind or has it even taken the lead in this area?

We should always be willing to learn from our neighbours. However, education systems differ in a number of dimensions. Overly simplistic rankings such as those comparing the number of tablets in a school, or the frequency of internet usage per school lesson in European countries are, from my point of view, of little use, despite their popularity. Such indicators do no adequately reflect the overall quality of teaching, which is what ultimately matters for the children. If the Netherlands or Scandinavian countries – to give two examples of successful systems in Europe – are indeed better in the use of digital techniques in teaching, it would be wise for Germany to learn from their experiences. Another possibility would be to compare the progress made in digitalisation in the more than 40,000 schools in Germany in order to derive best practices.