Educational equality: Promote equal opportunities for all children!

Educational equality: Promote equal opportunities for all children!

On June 23, 2025, an important online lecture entitled "Am I in the right place? About origin, university and habitus" will take place, which will deal with the influence of social background on educational and career paths in Germany. Dr. Isabell Lisberg-Haag will lead the event, which starts at 10 a.m. and is accessible via Zoom. The aim of the lecture is to reflect on structural barriers and promote educational equity. Anyone interested is invited to take part in this free event. Further information is available on the website University of Bamberg to find.

On the same day there will also be a guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Marcia Pally on the Christian Right in the USA. This begins at 6:15 p.m. in University 2 (U2), lecture hall U2/01.33 in Bamberg. Pally will speak about current developments in the US religious right and the lecture will be offered in English with a German-language presentation. This lecture is also free and open to anyone interested.

Education and social inequality

Education plays a crucial role in career opportunities, income, health and social participation Federal Agency for Civic Education emphasized. Article 7 of the Basic Law obliges the state to raise and educate all children. Educational institutions in Germany are usually free or heavily subsidized, while school attendance is compulsory up to the age of 18. Despite these general conditions, educational success depends heavily on social background. This represents a fundamental challenge to educational equity.

For example, in 2021 only 50% of people from families with a low level of education achieved vocational training. In contrast, more than 50% of people from academic families have studied. This shows how education acts as an “inequality machine” that reproduces social inequality from generation to generation. The education system is considered a “sorting machine” that reinforces unequal opportunities and has a significant impact on students’ life trajectories.

Initiatives to promote educational equity

In order to counteract this problem, government support measures and initiatives are necessary. The Educational equity reform proposes various measures, such as early childhood education, basic education and language support, as well as financial resources for schools. The expansion of all-day schools can also make a significant contribution to educational equality. A new StartChances program, which will be launched from 2024, aims to provide greater support for socially disadvantaged schools in Germany.

Current studies show that children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to their educational opportunities. They are often confronted with language and educational poverty, especially in socially disadvantaged areas. Despite many efforts, inequality persists; In 2021, around 47,500 young people ended their school career without a secondary school leaving certificate.

The upcoming events will not only provide the opportunity for networking and exchange, but also for critically examining the topics of social background and education. The online lecture on June 23rd in particular could provide impetus for valuable discussions. In addition to the lectures already mentioned, there are also inaugural lectures by Prof. Dr. Christian Zehnder and Prof. Dr. The focus is on Susanne Gruß and the second poetry lecture by Alina Bronsky, with topics ranging from culturally specific perspectives to current literary issues.