Council advocates for consistent aid to educational institutions, focusing on culture and learning.
### Empowering Schools for Systematic Cultural Education in Germany
In a proposal that highlights the need for a more systematic approach to cultural education in schools, Lydia Grün, a member of the Council for Cultural Education, advocates for a shift from individual actions to a more comprehensive strategy.
Germany's cultural education policy is shaped by its federal structure, with education, including cultural education, primarily the responsibility of the 16 federal states (*Länder*). This decentralized system allows for curriculum guidelines, school holidays, and the extent of cultural education to vary significantly between regions. However, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (*Kultusministerkonferenz*, KMK) coordinates standards and policies across states, ensuring some national consistency.
Each *Land* determines the budget for cultural education, with funding typically determined at the state and sometimes municipal level. The federal government intervenes through targeted programs, studies, and initiatives that support cultural and youth education, but direct funding responsibilities lie with the *Länder* and local authorities. Notably, the absence of tuition fees at public universities, including those with cultural and artistic programs, demonstrates a broader national commitment to accessible education.
Local autonomy facilitates direct partnerships between schools and regional cultural institutions, such as museums, theaters, and orchestras, tailored to community needs. These collaborations are encouraged through state-level initiatives and occasionally through federal programs like the *Kultur macht stark* (“Culture Makes You Strong”) program, which provides funds for local projects that bring schools and cultural organizations together.
Grün's proposal emphasizes the importance of schools being able to hire qualified staff for cultural education programs. She believes that schools should be empowered to have a budget and a high degree of autonomy to establish systematic connections with cultural institutions in a city or region. This approach would ensure that cultural education is an integral part of the local educational landscape, encompassing various forms, including dance, theater, digital worlds, literary texts, and visits to cultural institutions.
However, the current system presents both flexibility and challenges. While it allows for innovation and responsiveness to local needs, disparities in the quality and availability of cultural education across states are an ongoing issue. Up to 50 percent of the staff working in cultural areas in after-school programs are not adequately trained, which Grün's proposal aims to address.
In conclusion, Germany's systematic approach to cultural education in schools is characterized by decentralized governance, local innovation, and targeted federal support. The absence of a centralized budget or uniform curriculum reflects the country's federal tradition, allowing cultural education to be adapted to regional contexts while maintaining a baseline of national coordination. Grün's proposal aims to further empower schools to establish systematic connections with cultural institutions, ensuring that cultural education is an integral and high-quality part of the local educational landscape.
Other education-and-self-development opportunities, such as personal-growth workshops and community art classes, could be integrated into the local educational landscape by establishing systematic connections between schools and cultural institutions. This would require schools to be empowered with adequate budgets and autonomy to hire qualified staff and engage in such collaborative learning initiatives.
