Germany’s 40,000 schools are to receive better digital equipment. The German Bundestag has approved the necessary amendment to the Basic Law or constitution with the required two thirds majority. The Bundestag thus followed the proposal of the mediation committee of the two chambers of the German parliament, the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.

Anja Karliczek welcomes agreement

Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek praised the agreement. The result, she reported "puts the digital compact on a sound constitutional footing and will ensure that the assistance from federal government is received where it is most urgently needed – in the schools". 

Five billion euros for schools 

Overall the federal government intends to invest five billion euros in digitalising schools. The preconditions have now been put in place with the agreement on the amendment to the Basic Law. In future it will enable the federal government to provide the federal states with financial assistance to upgrade the effectiveness of local authority education infrastructure (Article 104c of the Basic Law). Responsibilities of the states and local authorities that are directly linked to this and will apply for a limited period only can also be financed.

Federal government ensures financial control

Moreover the amendment to the German Basic Law will allow the federal government to demand from the federal states reports and situation-related records, to ensure that funds have been used for the intended purpose.

Another amendment (Article 104b of the German Basic Law) stipulates that the funds granted by federal government must be used in addition to the funds provided by the federal states themselves.

A bill originally approved by the German Bundestag at the end of November 2018 stipulated that the federal states would be required to equally match the volume of funding for digitalisation of schools provided by the federal government. This was rejected by the Bundesrat in December, and the mediation committee was called in. It produced the proposed compromise on 20 February 2019. The original draft amendment to the Basic Law was adopted by the Cabinet in early May 2018.       

Federal states develop education strategies

The federal and state governments will divide the responsibilities involved in digitalising schools. Details will be laid out in an administrative agreement. Basically, the federal government will provide funds to develop digital infrastructure. The federal states will develop education strategies and will be responsible for in-service teacher training. With local authorities they will also ensure the operation, support and maintenance of equipment and decide whether or not mobile devices are to be used in their learning concepts, and if so how.

Financing the digital compact

The digital compact is to be financed from the digital infrastructure fund. The German government has already begun to establish this special fund.  

The common goal of the national and federal state governments is to get the "digital compact for schools" off the ground as swiftly as possible. To this end the second chamber of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, still needs to approve the change to the German Basic Law or constitution with a two-thirds majority. The next session is scheduled for 15 March 2019.

The amendments to the Basic Law approved by the German Bundestag will also allow the federal government to contribute billions of euros to the construction of social housing and the expansion of regional rail transport. To this end, Article 104d, Article 125c and Article 143e of the Basic Law will also be amended.