MINT education in Germany: Clear deficits and urgent need for action!

MINT education in Germany: Clear deficits and urgent need for action!

Current surveys on MINT education (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) in Germany show worrying results in international comparison. The data from the MINT mood barometer 2023, published by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, point to insufficient MINT education for children and young people. In this context, strengthening STEM education is strongly recommended, particularly by creating a greater range of extracurricular learning opportunities and promoting everyday tasks.

The discussion about the quality of STEM education makes it clear that students could benefit from role models from the STEM field. A concrete example implemented is the open all-day workshop and the ZLB, which enables the children to learn in a real-life way. Students accompany the children in this context and act as inspiring role models.

STEM initiatives and community projects

An outstanding joint project dedicated to the topic of MINT is “Servus MINT”. This is supported by the Catholic University (KU), the Ingolstadt University of Technology, the Ingolstadt Economic Development Agency and the brigk start-up center. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and aims to prepare children and young people for social challenges and to give them important future skills. The focus is on the ability to innovate and transform, which are essential due to changes in the world of work and technological progress.

The BMBF has also launched the MINT Action Plan to promote MINT education at all levels of education, from kindergarten to university. The MINT Action Plan 2.0 was announced in summer 2022 and is aimed in particular at networking extracurricular educational actors with schools and involving parents in their children's MINT education.

Structures for sustainable MINT education

Within this framework, the BMBF is investing an additional 45 million euros to create sustainable structures in MINT education. A central measure is the regional MINT clusters, which involve participants from education, science, civil society, business and municipalities. So far, 22 clusters from the first funding round (2020/2021) and 31 clusters from the second funding round (2022) have already received support. The next clusters are in the starting blocks with a funding period from April to July 2024.

The goals of these clusters are diverse and include, among other things, promoting girls and young women in MINT and strengthening equal opportunities. The already existing clusters include:

• MINTcon (Mannheim): Vernetzung bestehender Angebote, Programmierung, Rasterkraftmikroskopie.
• techniKAmpus (Karlsruhe): Außerschulische MINT-Angebote in offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeitsräumen.
• MAKEitREAL (Heilbronn-Franken): Fokus auf Mädchen mit Migrationshintergrund, mobiler Makerspace.

These initiatives not only offer low-threshold MINT educational opportunities for children and young people, but also targeted programs to promote cooperation between schools and MINT clusters.

In summary, it can be said that improving STEM education in Germany is needed more than ever. The measures and projects mentioned offer new opportunities, but the implementation of the suggestions remains crucial in order to sustainably strengthen the MINT skills that are necessary to overcome global challenges such as the energy transition and digital transformation.