To give point to their demands in the ongoing negotiations for the Solidarpakt III (Solidarity Agreement), students of the universities of the State of Baden-Württemberg will protest in Stuttgart today. They request an increase in the budget as a necessary prerequisite of good learning conditions at universities. KIT President Professor Holger Hanselka says that the demands of the students are justified. “The universities in Baden-Württemberg are working at their absolute limits! Without solid basic funding, we will not be able to maintain our offers in research and education. This has to be clear to all parties involved.”
“The planned restructurization of the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (BAföG, Federal Education and Trainings Assistance Act) will reduce the burden of the federal states,” Hanselka underlines. In his opinion, the Draft Act on the Elimination of Article 91b of the German Constitution (no federal funding of education) submitted by the federal government last week is an encouraging step. “Politics has noticed the high importance of education to the future and international competitiveness of Germany.” Positive signals are also received from the state during current negotiations of the Solidarpakt III (Solidarity Agreement III). “But this does not mean an all-clear. It is still not clear how the free BAföG funds will be distributed in the state and we still do not have any concrete figures as to what an extent basic funding of the universities will increased,” Hanselka underlines. “Our demands are very moderate – 3 % increase of basic funding, a compensation for inflation, plus 1 % increase in the budget for material expenses. This is even more important, as the number of students rises continuously contrary to the number of pupils. According to recent prognoses of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the States of the Federal Republic of Germany, the numbers of freshmen in 2023 in Baden-Württemberg will even be higher than in 2010. This is why all parties involved in the negotiations should establish reliable framework conditions for the universities and students in Baden-Württemberg,” the KIT President says.
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