"Minister's Remark: Not every place enjoys non-stop perfection daily"
Lower Saxony, Germany, is set to revolutionise education for its young learners as it prepares to implement full-day schooling for elementary school students, starting from the first grade, in 2023. The move, spearheaded by Julia Willie Hamburg, the Minister of Education, comes with a promise of a diverse range of activities and partnerships with external organisations.
Hamburg anticipates a bumpy start to the full-day schooling, acknowledging the need for schools to adapt and organise the offers with their partners and in coordination with the carriers. The Minister emphasises that everyone benefits from such collaborations, including the children, schools, and external partners.
The right to full-day care will be introduced gradually, starting from the school year 2026/27. Each subsequent year, an additional grade level will be included in the full-day program. Hamburg does not expect a wave of complaints about the implementation of full-day schooling, but encourages schools to provide a reasonable meal and diverse offers to cater to the needs of all students.
In the past, the state parents' council has criticised the lack of desired full-day care. The chairwoman, Miriam Kaschel, has expressed concerns about meals and rigid pick-up times. Hamburg suggests that children should have connections to society, such as cooperation with sports clubs or music schools, to foster their holistic development.
The full-day program will not have minimum standards set by the minister, but schools are expected to ensure a balanced mix of academic reinforcement, creative activities, physical education, and social skills development. Adequate staffing, infrastructure, and resources for maintaining quality and safety are also essential.
The Minister of Education also encourages schools to establish formal agreements or partnerships with local sports clubs and music schools. This could involve incorporating sports and music activities into the full-day program, sharing facilities, equipment, or expertise to enhance the educational experience.
Communication channels, training, and development, and feedback mechanisms are key to facilitating these partnerships. Regular meetings and open communication, along with providing training for educators and staff from sports clubs and music schools to align with educational standards, will ensure mutual understanding and alignment with program goals.
As of 2021, 72 percent of elementary schools in Lower Saxony operate full-time at a high level. Despite the ambitious timeline set by the federal government, which has set the beginning of the right to full-day schooling for 2026, Hamburg expects that some schools may have to improvise initially, but the program will work for the children.
For specific details on Lower Saxony's full-day schooling preparation and partnerships, it might be helpful to consult local educational authorities or relevant documents from the Ministry of Education.
- Julia Willie Hamburg, the Minister of Education in Lower Saxony, Germany, plans to foster the holistic development of students by encouraging schools to establish partnerships with sports clubs and music schools for their full-day schooling program, commencing in 2023.
- In addition to revolutionising education, the Minister of Education in Lower Saxony, Germany, advocates for the importance of general news and politics in shaping the future of education-and-self-development as she encourages schools to collaborate with external organisations to create balanced, comprehensive programs catering to the needs of all students.
