A third of the schools without gigabit – two federal states particularly bad
Fast internet access is an important prerequisite for digitization in German schools.
What: Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt
Every third school in Germany cannot access a really fast internet connection. In some regions it is particularly bad. In one country, 93 percent of schools are covered with gigabit. Why digitization is faltering.
EA large proportion of schools in Germany are still waiting in vain for a fast gigabit internet connection. This is the result of a current market analysis by the comparison portal Verivox, which is exclusively available to WELT AM SONNTAG.
According to this, more than a third of schools in Germany cannot access gigabit connections. For its investigation, Verivox evaluated the current data from the gigabit land register of the Federal Network Agency and conducted a survey among the ministries of education in the federal states.
Fast internet access is an important requirement for digitization in German schools. But it is precisely here that there are major regional differences between the federal states. The best supply is in Hamburg, where almost 93 percent of the schools have a gigabit connection within reach. In Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt, too, the proportion is comparatively large at 88 and 79 percent respectively. Saxony and Thuringia bring up the rear with 42 and 36 percent.
Schools are also affected by the urban-rural divide. In metropolises such as Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, there is almost full gigabit coverage, but in rural areas only every second school can be connected to the gigabit.
“Especially in the environment of training centers with many simultaneous, data-intensive applications, there is no alternative to very high-performance Internet connections,” said Jens-Uwe Theumer, telecommunications expert at Verivox, WELT AM SONNTAG. “Schools and universities should be given priority with future-proof fiber optic technology.”
However, when it comes to the degree of digitization in schools, fast connections are only one requirement. Curricula and methods are also important, as is the online affinity of teachers.
The Verivox survey of the ministries of education has shown that curricula do not generally prescribe the use of digital media, and that there are only specific requirements in individual subjects such as computer science and mathematics. “This procedure is based on the principle of freedom of teaching and learning materials, which is apparently not being shaken in terms of digitization either,” said Theumer. This shows a disadvantage of the federal structure in Germany. The lack of technological standardization is proving to be a major stumbling block for digitization.
The federal government has recognized the need to catch up in schools and has launched the “Digital Pact School” funding program. It includes federal aid of 6.5 billion euros for the technical expansion of schools, but also for IT administrators. However, the agreement expires next year.
The Ampel government has committed itself in its coalition agreement to launching a follow-up program. “However, the question of follow-up financing and the design of a successor model in the form of the Digital Pact 2.0 has not yet been clarified,” complained Achim Berg, President of the Bitkom digital association.
Germany’s schools were 20 years behind countries like Denmark, said Berg. School authorities and schools need long-term planning security when it comes to financing, otherwise there is a risk of digitization coming to a standstill again. Bureaucratic hurdles in the allocation of funds would also have to be removed.
The funds available would be called up far too hesitantly, he said. “The rapid digitization of Germany’s classrooms can only succeed through nationwide coordinated minimum standards and a simplified application process for funding.”
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