New regulations and laws are coming into force at every turn of the year. From January 1, 2021, for example, many different rules will apply in the real estate sector, some of them with monetary benefits for many residents in Germany. New distribution of the brokerage commission (Maklerprovision) Whoever buys a single-family house or an apartment will in future only have to pay a maximum of half the brokerage fees (Maklerprovision). This regulation even applies from 23 December 2020 - a kind of early Christmas present! The aim of the measure is to prevent sellers from passing on the full brokerage commission to the buyer in future. If the seller and buyer commission a broker by mutual agreement, the costs for the broker will be shared automatically in future. Each side pays thus half of the commission. A brokerage contract will have to be done in writing. This is also possible in the form of an email. A verbal agreement as before is no longer sufficient. Applications for construction child benefit (Baukindergeld) extended The deadline for the construction child allowance (Baukindergeld) is extended by three months until March 31, 2021. Originally, the deadline was December 31, 2020. Residents in Germany can benefit from the Baukindergeld if between 1. 1.2018 and 31.3.2021 they:
With the Baukindergeld, the state promotes the construction or purchase of owner-occupied housing for families with children. Parents can receive 1,200€ per child per year for ten years. However, the aid is subject to certain conditions. Learn more here. Improved housing subsidy (Wohnungsbauprämie) On January 1, 2021, the housing construction premium (Wohnungsbauprämie) will rise: the subsidy itself as well as the income limits will be raised significantly from that date. That means that in the future, more residents would benefit from state aid. The maximal subsidy amount rises for singles from 512€ to 700€ per year. For couples the amount increases from 1024€ to 1400€. The income limits are also rising: Singles then have the right to the subsidy up to a taxable income of 35,000€, for married couples the limit is 70,000€. The currently valid values are 25,600€ and 51,200€ respectively. Source: focus.de CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives November 2020 Related articlesThe Bundestag has decided to increase the tax-free child allowances (Kinderfreibeitrag) and the monthly child benefit (Kindergeld) by €15 in the coming year. For the second time in this legislative period, parents will receive more Kindergeld: After a plus of €10 last summer, there will be another €15 more per month from next year. According to this law, from January 2021 onward:
The tax-free child allowance will also be increased accordingly from currently €7812 to €8388. Families with a low income will also receive significantly more child allowance from next year. As the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs announced, the maximum amount will be increased to €205 per month as of January 1, 2021. Parents with a low income, which is only slightly above the Hartz IV (welfare) level, will receive a child supplement (Kinderzuschlag). The benefit is in addition to Kindergeld. Depending on need, a maximum of €185 monthly per child is currently paid - according to ministry information, this is currently paid for around 888,000 children in Germany. All taxpayers will also be financially relieved in the coming year: The basic tax-free allowance, on which one does not have to pay taxes, is raised, from €9408 to €9696. The minimum annual income, of which the 42% top tax rate is required, rises from €57,052 to €57,919. A further increase in these income limits is planned for 2022. In addition, single parents will be allowed to deduct higher maintenance payments from taxes in the future. Source: tagesschau.de & ZDF.de CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ArticlesHaving a child usually brings a lot of joy to the whole family. However, many parents, especially first timers, may have trouble adjusting to life post-baby. New moms may feel that they are not getting enough help/support from their partners. New fathers may become easily irritable or frustrated because of the new situation. Lack of sleep, constant stress, and the scarce of intimacy at home can put the relationship in danger. There are several ways to seek help though! While couple/marriage therapy can be useful, they are not covered by the public insurance and simply too expensive for most couples to pay out of pocket. The public insurance pays fully for individual therapy though but it’s not easy to find a therapist who speaks your native language. Therapy in English with some luck can be possible in Berlin. You can find therapists in Berlin who accept public insurance here. It’s recommended to call/email several of them to increase your chances! Luckily, there is another possibility for parents in Berlin: Family Counseling (Elternberatung). They are totally FREE and available in many languages (English is the most common foreign language). Due to the Corona pandemic, counseling sessions are widely available now per phone or online as well. There are private (Freie Träger) and public (Kommunale Träger) counseling providers. They are BOTH free of charge. Unlike public providers, private ones don’t require you to live in their area (Bezirk) so you have more freedom to choose the one you like. You can also switch to another provider anytime if you don’t like the service. According to their web site: “Family problems from mild to severe can manifest themselves in the healthiest of families. They sometimes result in challenging interactions among family members. Counselling may help. Our counsellors understand what’s going on in family lives and can help you deal with the challenges of family dynamics. Counselling can support families on various issues such as:
Our Counselling Services primarily advise:
Children and young adults may seek and attend counselling on their own without their parents. We also provide advice, guidance and information to people concerned about the well-being of children and young adults, such as grandparents, professionals, caretakers and teachers.” CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related Articles17/10/2020 Age of NEW parents in GErmany rises!The average age of new parents is rising in Germany. German fathers are in the top midfield EU-wide. Two thirds of all men who became fathers of a child in 2019 were between 29 and 39 years old (66%); only 6% were older than 44 years. Among mothers, 65% were between 29 and 39 years old and 0.3% were older than 44 years. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) on the basis of a new study on paternity, the average age of fathers at the birth of a child has increased by 3.6 years since 1991 to 34.6 years. Also, the mothers of children born in 2019 were, at 31.5 years, on average 3.6 years older than the mothers of babies born in 1991 (27.9 years). Fathers of firstborns were on average 33.1 years old in 2019. For women who became mothers for the first time in 2019, the average age was 30.1 years.The parents of the second born were 2 years older: 35.2 and 32.2 years, respectively. For the third child the average age of the fathers was 36.6 years and that of the mothers 33.2 years. Youngest parents live in Saxony-Anhalt In a comparison of the federal states in 2019 in Saxony-Anhalt, fathers were the youngest at the birth of children at 34.0 years of age and mothers at 30.6 years. The average age at birth was highest in Hamburg: there the fathers were 35.4 and the mothers 32.4 years old. In 2019, an average of 1.45 children per father were born in Germany. Between 1991 and 2006, this so-called combined paternity rate fluctuated around the value of 1.20 children per father. Since 2007, it has risen continuously to 1.50 children per father in 2016, and then declined slightly until 2019. As in most economically highly developed countries, the paternity rate of men in Germany is lower than the total fertility rate of women, which was 1.54 children per mother in 2019. This is mainly due to the fact that the number of potential fathers is higher than the number of potential mothers. Paternity rate lower in the East than in the West While in the eastern states the paternity rate in 2019 was between 1.29 and 1.35 children per father, it was significantly higher in most western states, at 1.45 to 1.51 children per father. Only in Saarland was it somewhat lower at 1.39. By contrast, the birth rate for women in 2019 no longer shows an east-west contrast. The larger differences between the paternity rates of men and the birth rates of women in eastern Germany are due to the fact that in many parts of eastern Germany there are significantly more men than women. Age of new fathers in EU at birth between 32 and 36 years In terms of the average age of fathers at the birth of children, Germany belongs to the "older" midfield in the European Union. According to estimates for the year 2017, fathers in Italy, Greece and Spain were the oldest in the EU at around 36 years of age at the birth of their children (Germany 2017: 34.4 years). They were the youngest in Romania at around 32 years of age. In Lithuania, Poland and Bulgaria, the age of fathers at birth was also below 33 years. In terms of the paternity rate, Germany is in the upper midfield, similar to the combined birth rate of women (2017: 1.48 children per father). The lowest paternity rates of about 1.2 children per father in 2017 were recorded by the southern European countries Malta, Spain and Italy. The highest paternity rate was in France with just under 1.9 children per father. Source: fastflip.de CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ARticlesThe Federal Cabinet has just approved a reform to the parental benefits (Elterngeld) in Germany. The changes affect parents with high incomes, parents who work part-time while receiving parental benefits and parents of children born too early. The new regulations are to come into force in 2021. The Bundestag and Bundesrat still have to agree though!
The cabinet also initiated an extension of the short-time work allowance (Kurzarbeit) in the Corona crisis. In the future, up to 24 months of salary compensation will be paid instead of the previous 12 months. Normally, Kurzarbeit workers receive only 60% of their last net salary, while parents with children receive 67%. These salaries will increase in two stages as the period of time increases. The maximum rate of 80% or, with children, 87% is due for all those who are on Kurzarbeit work for 7 months or longer. You can find here more details about Parental Benefits (Elterngeld & Elterngeldplus). Source: tagesschau.de CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related Articles13/9/2020 How to buy The best for your baby!Every parent wants to always get the best for his/her child. Finding the best is not easy though! You have to do some research prior to every purchase. However, some testing agencies in Germany decided years ago to help customers make informed decisions before buying a product or a service. The good news is: according to their investigation reports, the best products are not necessarily the most expensive. So, you get to save money as well ;-) There are 2 main rating agencies in Germany. The oldest and most respected is Stiftung Warentest. It is a consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way. It was founded on 4 December 1964 by the Federal Republic of Germany as an independent foundation under civil law. It is based in Berlin. Stiftung Warentest is self-financing, selling its own magazines test and Finanztest (annual circulation around hundreds of thousands copies), books and special magazine issues, and also investigation results as paid-for content on its own website. The foundation also receives a subsidy from the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. This is a compensation for the fact that it does not carry any advertisements in its publications because this could compromise its independence. The classification of the evaluation results is based on the marking system used in German schools. This results in the following categories for the overall verdicts on the quality of goods and services:
The second agency is Ökotest is a consumer magazine that belongs to the media holding company of the political party SPD. It has been published monthly by the publishing house of the same name since April 1985. It’s based in Frankfurt. Unlike stiftung warentest, it doesn’t use exact numbers in its ratings verdicts. Many merchants advertise heavily any products rated highly by the agencies. They often print the rating seal directly on the product label or near the price tag. Wise shoppers should always look out for those seals and also follow the news for new ratings reports that are made publicly available for FREE, occasionally. Follow us on facebook to get updates on such reports ;-) Also, check out the video below for our handpicked recommendations of products rated highly by those agencies. CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ArticlesAnxiety, overweight and insufficient school knowledge: Even in the richest countries of the world, many children have to struggle with big problems. According to a UNICEF study, Germany is worse off than its neighbours. According to a UNICEF study, the life satisfaction of German children is lower than in other industrialised countries. According to the representative survey of the children's charity, 75 percent of 15-year-old girls and boys in Germany say that they are very satisfied with their lives. In the Netherlands the figure is 90 percent, in Switzerland 82 percent and in France 80 percent. The lowest value was measured in Turkey with 53 percent, followed by Japan and Great Britain. "75 percent is a good figure on the one hand, but you can also turn it around and say: one in four children is not very satisfied," said Rudi Tarneden, spokesperson for UNICEF Germany. "And that is just not so good by international comparison. He added that the fact that the parents of many German children are more driven by worry and fear than in other countries certainly played a role here. "If the adults don't convey much confidence, this is reflected in the children's attitudes. According to the study by the UNICEF research center Innocenti, Germany ranks 14th overall out of 41 OECD and EU countries studied in terms of child well-being. For the report, national data on children's mental and physical health as well as their school and social skills and the social framework conditions were evaluated. In the industrialized countries included in the report, children have to contend with mental problems as well as obesity and inadequate school knowledge. The proportion of children with obesity and overweight has increased in recent years: according to the study, about one in three children is either obese or overweight. In Germany, the proportion is 27 percent. About 40 percent of all children in EU and OECD countries do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills by age 15. Children in Bulgaria, Romania and Chile perform worst in this respect, while girls and boys in Estonia, Ireland and Finland perform best. UNICEF is also concerned about social skills: In most countries, one in five children has little confidence in their social ability to make new friends. Children in Chile, Japan and Iceland are the least confident in this regard. In Germany, only 72 percent of girls and boys say that they find it easy to make friends quickly. The highest suicide rate among young people - one of the main causes of death in the age group between 15 and 19 years in rich countries - is in Lithuania, followed by New Zealand and Estonia. Source: tagesschau.de CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related Articles25/8/2020 Pregnancy & Birth in Berlin!Pregnant women in Germany enjoy many protections by law. They are allowed to lie about it during job interviews and never get fired because of it (at least on paper!). They are not allowed to work at least 6 weeks before the due date while still receiving full salaries. Giving birth is covered up to 100% by the public insurance and the child can be added for FREE to the parents policy ;-) An unemployed parent can also be added to the working parent’s policy for FREE. Maternity Protection (Mutterschutz) Normally, the maternity protection period starts 6 weeks before birth and ends 8 weeks after. During which most mothers receive full salaries. When a child is born with a disability which in many cases involves special physical and psychological stress for the mother, then the mother can apply for an extension of the protection period with her employer to up to 12 weeks. If a woman suffers a miscarriage after the 12th week of pregnancy, she gets by law an automatic protection against dismissal until 4 months after the miscarriage. Also, if you are no longer allowed to work at your previous position because of maternity leave, your employer may transfer you to another reasonable position. In any case, you should NOT earn less by changing positions. If this is not the case, you can take legal actions against your employer and the law would be on your side. If you have legal protection insurance, that shouldn’t burden your budget. Household Assistance (Haushaltshilfe) You can get Household Assistance after and/or before birth if you have for example back pain, other kids, swollen feets, complications after birth, or no one to help at home. Basically, someone can come for a few hours for a few days each week. She helps with the housekeeping and takes care of the old kids (if any). You have to get approval from your doctor and your public insurance though! Unfortunately, most insurance companies are reluctant to approve such services. Their argument is that your husband should be able to do such tasks at home! But if you have another child at home, this would improve your chances significantly. Finding a midwife (Hebamme) Finding a midwife continues to be a challenge in Berlin. If you start looking early enough though, you should be able to find one! There are some online resources that may help:
A Midwife is a trained nurse (rarely a man) who usually works at a hospital and can help with the following services:
Beleghebammen is a self-employed midwife who has signed a contract with one or more maternity clinics, or works at a hospital with a so-called belege system. You can find the list on the hospital website. TIP: you can start by searching for a Beleghebamme. If you find one, you can easily register at the hospital that she works at (most Beleghebamme do the registration and all the paperwork by themselves). Main advantage: She will be with you during delivery. Some Beleghebamme can come to home after birth. Hebamme as well as Beleghebamme are both covered up to 100% by the public insurance. It’s more difficult to find a Beleghebamme one though! Prebirth courses There are courses that can be taken by expecting moms and dads. It’s covered 100% by public insurance for the mom. Some insurance companies cover the courses partially also for dads (e.g., HKK covers around 80% of the course fees). Some courses can be attended by couples or separately. Most courses are in German but some are also taught in English. Check online and compare prices before signing up. In the course, you get to learn about what to expect before and during birth.
Courses in English: How to choose a hospital? You are totally free to choose the hospital you prefer. However, keep in mind that the hospital district (Bezirk) NOT yours is responsible for issuing your baby birth certificate. So, you gotta choose wisely as the processing times vary widely. For example, Mitte is infamous for long processing times! So, if you are in a rush to receive the birth certificate (e.g., for Elterngeld or Kindergeld), just avoid going to Charite in Mitte for example. Some hospitals already have a small office to get the birth certificate paperwork started (e.g., Charite & Friedrichshain Vivantes). You may still need to go to the Standesamt responsible for the hospital district to finish up the paperwork though! After finishing the paperwork, you would receive 3 FREE copies (German version) by Post. It’s recommended to also request at least 3 extra more copies (international version) for your own records. You can still request more copies online later as well. You would need the birth certificate to apply for:
TIP: You would need to have the birth certificates of you and your partner as well as the marriage certificate translated to German at an authorized translation office for the baby birth certificate. NOTE: There is a lot of scam around in the translation business. Compare prices before you decide for a place. It usually costs around 25€ per document. Extras: Some hospitals offer some extra services. For example, Charite offers a FREE ride home (only during the week though). Register at your favorite hospital It's recommended that you register at your favorite hospital well before the due date. It's not a must though! It will just save you time and energy when you arrive at the hospital to give birth. Answering questions about your medical history while having contractions is not the best thing as you can imagine! Please note: being registered at a hospital doesn't guarantee a spot in the delivery room. You may end up waiting for a space to open up or going to a completely different hospital when time comes. The staff at the delivery room should help you out with this. TIP: register at more than one hospital just in case! During registration, you can request a family room (so the husband can sleep over) but it's not guaranteed though! If there is availability, you would have to pay out of pocket as the insurance doesn’t cover it. It’s not outrageously expensive though. New moms typically stay up to 3 days in the hospital. There is also extra private insurance (not too expensive) you can get if you prefer to have a single room (standard is usually 2 persons per room). This insurance can also get you treated by a senior doctor (Chefarzt). Prepare your hospital bag Before the 7th month of pregnancy, your hospital bag should always be ready just in case of an early delivery. The bag should contain at least the following:
See more at Vivantes hospital checklist. Fine diagnostics The public insurance covers what’s called fine diagnostics for your baby which produces advanced ultrasound images in color and can closely check the development of every organ in the baby’s body. Most gynecologists would be happy to give a referral to have it done at a few clinics in the city (e.g., https://www.bergmannstrasse102.de/) Birth (Geburt) When the contractions occur every 5 minutes, then it's probably the time to head to the hospital. If you are not sure, you could always call your favorite hospital to get advice (If you are lucky, an English speaker would pick up). If you decided to go, then you can call a taxi or Uber if you don’t have a car. You can call the ambulance of course if you feel like it but keep in mind that the ambulance will not take you necessarily to the hospital you want! The husband should usually be on your side during labor. TIP: There might be some restrictions because of Corona though, check beforehand with your preferred hospital. TIP: If you plan to do (Periduralanästhesie) PDA, we recommend requesting it as early as possible. It’s covered 100% by the public insurance. Milk pump (Milchpumpe) Already at the hospital, you can rent a milk pump machine from a provider such as https://www.milchwiese.de/. The public insurance fully covers the rental for 12 weeks which can be extended easily (even several times) by getting a new prescription from a gynecologist (Frauenarzt) or pediatrician (Kinderarzt). Selected English-speaking paediatricians in Berlin:
Websites to find a doctor in Germany:
Dealing with Stress after birth:
Enjoy your time with your baby ;-) CategoriesAll Family Finance Health SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives January 2021 Related ArticlesIn Berlin there are two main kinds of child care: Kita or nursery (Kindertagesstätte) or day care (Kindertagespflege: Tagesmutter or Tagesvater). Kita or Nursery (Kindertagesstätte) There are many Kitas in Berlin with different chains (Träger). Some of them are bilingual (English & Spanish are the most common). The majority of them are public and heavily subsidised from the state of Berlin (you only need to pay a small fee for lunch). You would need to pay probably much more for private Kitas as some don't cooperate with the state. The development of your child is documented in the language learning diary (Sprachlerntagesbuch). Day Care (Kindertagespflege: Tagesmutter or Tagesvater) Day care offers a legally recognised form of care all or part of the day, primarily for children under three years old. Your child should be cared for by qualified mothers or fathers in a family-like environment. One childminder looks after up to five children, usually in a small group of mixed-age children. Your child is either cared for in the childminder's apartment, in rented rooms or, in individual cases, at your home. As in the Kita, your child will be individually supported according to the Berlin Education Program. Day care can also be applied for as a supplement to a Kita spot or as a supplement to school care. Depending on the individual requirements, the daily time frame of care is:
From the age of one, every child in Berlin has a legal entitlement for a part time day care (up to 7 hours) regardless of whether or not the child could be looked after at home. Irregular working hours If you need longer care for your child due to your work situation, and the Kita, day care centre or school does not cover the entire care period, you can apply to your Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) for supplementary day care. The office will then check whether the additional hours of care are compatible with the welfare of the child. Your child can then be looked after in the evening and at night, at weekends or on public holidays, for example. How much does it cost? Since August 1, 2018, child care have been free of charge for all children in Berlin. You still have to pay a monthly fee of 23€ for lunch though! Please note: this fee is to be paid even if you took your child on vacation! For extra services such as additional sport activities, organic food or language lessons, daycare centres may charge limited extra payments under conditions from the state of Berlin, to protect you as a parent from unreasonable financial burden. You can find more details here. How to apply? If you want your child to go to a Kita or day care centre you will need a Kita-Gutschein (Kita-voucher). You can redeem the voucher at any facility of your choice if there is a spot available. The Kita-Gutschein is used to determine your child's need for care. How many hours a day your child can be cared for in the Kita depends, among other things, on its age: From your child's first birthday onwards, the voucher is valid for at least one part-time childcare session (5 to 7 hours a day) without the need to be assessed. For extended care needs or for children under 1 year of age. You have to provide a proof that you cannot look after the child yourself, for example:
You will also need the following documents, you can find the detailed list here:
The Kita-Gutschein can be applied, nine months at the earliest or at two months at the latest, before the desired start of care at the Jugendamt in your district of residence (Bezirk). You can find more details here. When to apply? Before or after finding a Kita/Day care spot? If you prefer to go to work as soon as possible, then you should apply for Kita-Gutshein when the Baby is 3 months old at the latest. Some Kitas demand Kita-Gutschein to be present to accept your registration but some don't. If the Kita-Gutschein expires before finding a spot, you could apply for an extension or simply a new one (It's free of charge). TIP: If you already have a confirmation from a Kita or day care center, don't forget to attach it to your application so you can get the voucher much faster ;-) TIP: If your work situations change, you can adjust your Kita-Gutschien by making it valid for all day instead of part time for example. Please note : if one of the parents becomes unemployed, that might cause a reduction in the number of hours (i.e, it becomes valid only for part time 5-7 hours). How to hunt for a spot? Berlin has recently rolled out a digital way of registering your child in Kitas (Kita-Navigator). It's still not working perfectly but you can use it to easily:
Some Kitas now require that all registrations go through the Kita-Navigator while some others still accept the same old way of paper application or email (at least until the Kita-Navigator works properly). We recommend to check the website of the Kita for special registration procedure. If there is no info, just send an inquiry email with the child info (Name, birth date, address, contact) and call if you receive no response within a week. TIP: Try to make it more personal to stand out of the crowd. Please note: if your child reached 3 years old and you still can't find a Kita spot, contact immediately the Jugendamt in your district and they should help you find a place as you have a high priority now. Attention: If you already have a child in a Kita who got another sibiling, then the sibling would in theory have a higher chance to get a place but not guaranteed though! So plan accordingly! TIP for commuters: Berlin and Brandenburg have agreed to facilitate the use of care services in the respective other state, for example, if workplace-based care is useful or necessary. Plan for the Eingewöhnung time: Your kid would need sometime to adjust to the Kita. It typically takes 4 weeks or more for your child to settle in. In the beginning, one parent takes the child for about an hour a day which slowly increases until the child is feeling comfortable without the parents. During this time you can still receive paid parental leave (Elterngeld) if you wish. TIP: not speaking German at home might actually be an advantage for some as Kitas get more money from the state in this case. So, don't forget to mention it on your application. Check out the video below for more tips! Issues There is a widespread shortage of child care in Berlin. However, if you start looking early (i.e., as soon as your baby is born), you would likely find a spot by the time the child is 1 year old. Keep in mind that only a few Kitas accept applications for unborn children. If both parents need to go to work and already spent a reasonable effort looking and still can't find child care spot, then the parents can actually sue the district (Bezirk) where they live for loss of income. Tagesspiegel reported in early 2020: "according to the Berlin Administrative Court, the number of lawsuits for the lack of a childcare spot in 2019 has also increased significantly compared to the previous year. The court received 241 complaints in 2019, compared to 178 the year before. Most of the cases in which compensation was paid were in Treptow-Köpenick. The district has so far paid 27.355€. Three further lawsuits are currently pending there with a total claim for damages of 21.609€. In Pankow, a total of 18.343€ has so far been paid in three cases, in Neukölln 6.000€ for two cases." You can read the complete article here. Useful Links CategoriesAll Family Finance SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related ARticles15/8/2020 NEW EDUCATION QUALITY RANKING RELEASEDAt the end of the difficult first week after the start of school in Berlin with the discussion about compulsory masks and the first school closures due to corona cases, there is finally some good news: In the education monitor of the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM), Berlin is no longer at the bottom of the education quality list in Germany. According to the nationwide comparative study presented recently in Berlin, the capital rose from 16th place to 13th place. The fact that the childcare ratios at daycare centers, schools and universities are good has a positive effect. In addition, a particularly large number of children and young people in Berlin take advantage of all-day offerings in daycare and primary schools. How the evaluation works? The education monitor of the INSM has been published for 17 years and compares the education systems of the 16 federal states from an economic perspective. According to INSM, the comparative study evaluates "to what extent a federal state reduces educational poverty, contributes to securing skilled labour and promotes growth". In addition to the performance level of students, the study compares, among other things, how much money a state spends per student, the ratio of teachers to students in terms of numbers, or the proportion of younger teachers. The school and trainee dropout rates are also examined. In addition to day-care centres, schools and universities, it also evaluates performance in vocational education and training on the basis of a total of 93 indicators in 12 fields of action. The comparative study is prepared by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW). The complete study can be found here. Pros & Cons of the Education system in Berlin The many researchers in Berlin are also rated positively "measured by economic power". In addition, there are many university graduates relative to the resident academic population and the highest proportion of foreign students in Germany. The main areas that can be improved are vocational training, educational poverty, school quality and integration. For example, the share of youths without a training place is too high and the supply of training places offered by companies is too low. Many young people did not achieve the minimum standards of competence - deficits in reading, writing, mathematics and science, for example. The IW takes these data from the nationwide school achievement studies of the past years. The school dropout rate in Berlin is still high and the connection between social background and educational success is said to be close. Why Sachsen is still number#1? The winner, Saxony, was praised among other things for the fact that many children were looked after full-time and that many employees with university degrees worked in the daycare centres. According to the study, the Saxon pupils also excel in mathematics and science, and only a few do not reach the minimum standards in mathematics and reading. Lack of participation, shortage of teachers and lack of digital resources are the most obvious problems of the German education system, the study said. The corona pandemic aggravates these difficulties. Sources: Tagesspiegel & Welt CategoriesAll Family SELF DEVELOPMENT SHOPPING Archives October 2020 Related Articles |