Volt on education

Volt wants vocational training to also be offered in English or in the language of the neighboring country. This is meant to make it easier for international talent to get a training position. Companies and trainees are expected to benefit from stronger international ties.

Volt wants job training to be offered in English too. Near the border, the neighbor country's language should also be possible. Then more young people from abroad can train here. Later, all trainees should learn English.

The bilingual programs are to follow the example of English-language degree programs at universities. In the long run, English is to become a fixed part of training curricula. Training is also meant to prepare people for the international job market and improve their chances with global companies.

Volt wants to abolish the Kooperationsverbot, the rule that largely bars the federal government from taking part in the states' education policy. Federalism in education is to be phased out step by step to allow uniform nationwide standards and faster decisions.

Today the German states mostly decide about schools. The federal government can hardly take part. Volt wants to end this ban. Then the same rules for education would apply all over Germany.

A national education strategy would align goals and standards across Germany. A federal education commission would coordinate reforms, and an education council of experts and teachers would develop practical solutions. Federal competence centers would promote topics such as media literacy, artificial intelligence and financial knowledge. Who pays for what would be set out in a state treaty between the federal government, the states and municipalities.

Volt wants to make education free for children and young people, from childcare starting at birth to learning materials and meals. The platform treats education as a basic right whose access should not depend on parents' income.

Volt wants education to cost nothing. Daycare would be free for all families. Children get free breakfast and lunch at daycare and school. Schoolbooks would also be free.

Childminding, nurseries and daycare centers would be free of fees nationwide. Volt wants to pay for school learning materials from federal funds. The federal government would also fund field trips and exchange programs, including international ones. An investment budget is planned for digitalization and partnerships with out-of-school partners. Students and trainees would get their semester transit passes paid and reduced rents; the platform cites Sweden as a model.

Volt wants everyone to be able to learn together regardless of their needs or abilities. To that end, educational institutions would receive more money and staff for inclusion.

Volt wants all children to learn together. This includes children with disabilities. Schools and daycare centers would get more money for this. There would also be more helpers.

Educational institutions would get their own inclusion budgets for tailored solutions. Every teaching-related training program would include special-education modules and mandatory internships in that field. Inclusion aides and inclusion specialists would receive more support. Volt argues this strengthens equal opportunity and social cohesion.

Volt wants to relieve teachers through additional staff and make their employment more flexible and fair. The platform sees good working conditions as a precondition for supporting learners well.

Volt wants to make work easier for teachers. Other professionals would take over some tasks. Teachers who are employees would earn as much as civil-servant teachers. All would get time and money for training.

Administrative staff and teams from different professions would take tasks off teachers' hands. Teachers employed on contracts and those with civil-servant status would be put on equal financial footing and could adjust their contracts flexibly. Working-time accounts would compensate for overtime and peak workloads. Guaranteed and at the same time mandatory budgets of money and time are planned for further training. Teaching materials would be available free through budgets and a central digital pool.

Volt wants to improve working conditions in daycare centers and raise the pay of early childhood educators to the level of school teachers. The platform argues that high-quality early education depends on motivated and valued staff.

Volt wants to pay daycare staff better. They should earn as much as school teachers. They should also get money during their training. Volt says this makes the job more attractive.

Trainee educators would receive financial support during their training. Time spent on observation and documentation would be paid, and health promotion programs would be added. Pay would be aligned with that of school teachers. Volt also wants to fund partnerships between universities and daycare centers, called research daycares, to develop new approaches to early childhood education.

Volt wants to end the split into Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium and have all children learn together for longer. School diplomas would be uniform nationwide. The platform says this strengthens equal opportunity and social cohesion.

Germany has three types of secondary school today. Volt wants to end this split. All children should learn together for longer. Diplomas should be the same across Germany. Volt says this is fairer.

The three school types would be replaced by one common school for all children and young people. Uniform diplomas across the country are meant to make educational success independent of where a student lives. Nationwide rules would provide orientation and cut bureaucracy. Schools would be consistently geared to the needs of children and young people.

Volt wants to replace school grades with individual performance assessment and tailor teaching more closely to each child. Project work and mixed-age learning would become central, and curricula would be slimmed down. The platform says this fosters skills and self-reflection.

Volt wants to end grades in school. Instead there would be talks and learning diaries, for example. Children should learn more in projects. Each child should learn according to their strengths. Curricula should become shorter.

Teachers and students would set learning goals together. The platform lists portfolios, learning diaries, presentations, and development talks as assessment tools, and students would take part in assessment as equals. Project-based, cross-subject, and mixed-age teaching would become a fixed part of the curriculum. Curricula would be cut down to essential content and emphasize independent learning, digital and social skills, and health awareness. The OECD Learning Compass and UNESCO's ESD 2030 program serve as guidelines.

Volt wants specialists in psychology, social work, health, and special education to be permanently based in schools. They would work closely with teachers, because the platform sees health and well-being as preconditions for successful learning.

Schools should not only have teachers. Volt also wants experts for psychology, social work, and health there. They help children with problems. Volt says children learn better when they feel well.

School health professionals would be a contact point for physical and mental health concerns. Regular prevention and counseling services would be offered to students and teachers. Where needed, migration officers, translators, and outside partners would be brought in. Neutral mediation offices would help resolve conflicts within the school system.

Volt wants children with and without disabilities to learn together in one school. Special-needs schools would continue only as a transitional arrangement. The platform cites equal opportunity and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Children with and without disabilities should learn together. Schools should become barrier-free for this. That means everyone can use them without obstacles. Special-needs schools would only exist for a transition period.

School buildings and services would be designed so that all students have access. Teams including inclusion specialists would support children and young people with disabilities according to their needs. Until a single common school is achieved, special-needs schools would work closely with regular schools.

Volt wants to anchor democracy education in all subjects and give students more say. According to the platform, democracy must be actively experienced so that young people take on responsibility.

Children should practice democracy at school. They should have more say. Class councils are one way to do this. Parents should also be able to make proposals.

Democracy education would be a cross-cutting topic in every subject. Class councils and grassroots democratic bodies would be mandatory structures. Junior elections, meaning mock elections held in schools, would be supported. Students and parents would get the right to submit motions in school committees.

Volt wants digital skills taught from elementary school onward and computer science to be a focus throughout. Schools would receive modern equipment and fast internet. The platform sees this as preparation for a connected world.

Children should learn to use computers in elementary school already. Computer science should matter in every school year. Schools should get new devices and fast internet. Parents should get training too.

The curriculum would cover technology, society, and application together, which the platform calls the Dagstuhl triangle. Parents would be offered training on the opportunities and risks of digitalization. Schools would get up-to-date hardware and software and stable internet connections. Open-source technology and a cybersecurity concept are meant to ensure security and transparency. The platform cites the United Kingdom as a model.

Volt wants to introduce a dual-track teaching degree and link university study more closely with the practical training phase. More hands-on experience is meant to prepare future teachers better and secure school quality.

Future teachers should practice in schools earlier. Volt wants a dual degree. That means study and work at a school happen together. Degrees from other countries should count.

The dual teaching degree would also recognize foreign qualifications and prior teaching experience. The length of study and of the practical training phase would be harmonized nationwide. A larger share of practice is meant to reduce overload when starting the job. Completed practice hours could shorten the training phase. The platform cites Austria's induction phase with mentoring as an example.

Volt wants to keep small rural schools open. Mixed-age teaching and digital networking are meant to make this workable even with few children. The platform regards village schools as important for vibrant rural regions.

Volt wants to keep schools in villages. Children of different ages can learn together there. Small schools should connect over the internet. This gives them more learning options.

Individual learning across age groups and subjects would allow teaching with small student numbers. Digital networks among small schools would open up a broader range of courses. Closeness to nature would be used for hands-on teaching and environmental education. Village schools would also serve as cultural hubs and make rural regions more attractive.

Volt wants to raise the standing of vocational occupations through nationwide campaigns, modernize training plans, and help small businesses offer apprenticeships. According to the platform, this secures skilled workers and strengthens the labor market.

Volt wants more young people to choose vocational training. There would be advertising across Germany. Training should become more modern. Small companies should get help to train people.

The campaigns would focus on shortage areas such as care work, IT, and skilled trades, and would try to attract men and women to jobs mostly held by the other gender. Training plans would be updated continuously and expanded with digital and cross-occupational skills. Small businesses and start-ups could offer places through joint training schemes and support campaigns. Moving between vocational training and university would become easier. Application coaching, workshops, and internships would be supported, the voluntary social and ecological years promoted more, and providers, counseling services, and companies linked through digital platforms.

Volt wants to give students and trainees more financial security. BAföG (federal student aid) rates would be tied to local living costs, and state-recognized vocational training and continuing education would be free for everyone. The platform argues that education should not depend on a person's financial situation.

Volt wants more money for students and trainees. BAföG is money from the state for learners. It should match the cost of living in each place. People in expensive cities should get more. Recognized training courses should cost nothing.

Trainee pay should be enough to live on, with the state closing gaps, for example by using the minimum wage as a benchmark. BAföG would also be available for part-time study and for every type of training. Eligibility requirements would be lowered, and entitlement would be checked only after payment so that no funding gaps arise. Learners would get affordable housing and reduced rents. The standard period of study would be aligned with how long degrees actually take. Volt also plans advice services on education funding and expanded lifelong career counseling.

Volt wants every learner to be able to spend at least four weeks abroad during vocational training or university. Exchange programs such as Erasmus+ would be expanded, and degrees would be uniform across Europe. The platform expects this to foster personal development, European cohesion and knowledge transfer.

Volt wants more learning abroad. All trainees and students should be able to spend at least four weeks abroad. Programs like Erasmus+ should grow. Degrees should be the same all over Europe. Then other countries accept them faster.

Companies and training institutions would get support to make the time abroad possible. Universities would have to name partner universities where a semester abroad counts fully toward the degree. Educational institutions would be required to actively inform learners about mobility options. Erasmus+ and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) would offer more opportunities from school through adult education. Visas for learners and teachers from outside Europe would be issued faster, and they would be allowed to work beyond their training period.

Volt wants to give researchers from the postdoc stage onward a flat basic budget that replaces time-consuming grant applications. They would have to pass half of it on to other researchers. Non-professorial academic staff would also get clearer career paths.

Volt wants to give researchers a fixed amount of money for their work. This starts after the doctorate. They then have to write fewer applications. They pass half of the money on to other researchers. This should help researchers work together more.

According to the platform, the basic research budget would cut red tape and provide planning security. The requirement to redistribute 50 percent is meant to encourage new ideas and networking within the research community. Exchange platforms would enable cooperation and showcase projects, and knowledge transfer to the public and to industry would be supported. Pay for mid-level academic staff would be graded by performance and experience. After the doctorate, the move into a postdoc position would be automatic.

Volt wants an education leave law that allows paid time off work for continuing education. In addition, adult education centers would be expanded, retraining promoted and learning materials made freely accessible. The platform regards lifelong learning as necessary to keep up with the demands of the modern world.

Volt wants people to be able to learn all their lives. A new law should help with this. Workers then get time off for further training. They still get paid during this time. Adult education centers should also offer more courses.

Volkshochschulen (adult education centers) would offer digital, multilingual and hybrid courses so that access is barrier-free. Teaching professionals would be required to take regular further training and would get the time and money to do so. Retraining programs would promote moves into occupations with skills shortages. Long-term unemployed people and people with disabilities would receive tailored training and wage subsidies. Publicly funded platforms for open educational resources (OER) and places such as repair cafés, multigenerational houses and museums would complement formal learning.

Volt wants to strengthen anti-racism education, including colonial history in curricula, intercultural programs and staff training. According to the platform, this promotes respect and helps people recognize discriminatory structures.

Volt wants more education against racism. Schools should teach about the colonial era and its effects. Children from different cultures should meet and talk more. Volt also wants to support projects for democracy.

Colonial history and its effects on structural racism would be covered in class, along with visits to memorial sites. Initiatives such as "Demokratie leben" (a federal democracy program) and civic engagement would receive support. Staff in institutions would get training and media literacy programs, and a quality label called "racism-free workplace" would be created. Intercultural programs would foster exchange among children and young people. Teachers and educators from diverse backgrounds would be specifically supported.