Digitalisation at the forefront of the new SWK work programme

The Standing Scientific Commission of the German Kultusministerkonferenz (SWK) has adopted its first work programme for 2022. Its main focus will be on the topics of “Education and Teaching in the Digital Transformation” and “Prospects for 2030 Primary Schools.” For both topics, the panel of 16 educational researchers will submit expert reports on recommended implementation and financing strategies to the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Kultusministerkonferenz, KMK).

In her capacity as a member of the SWK, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Cress’ expertise is particularly sought after in the focal area Digitalisation, which she heads together with Prof. Dr. Olaf Köller from the IPN Kiel. Along with the school sector, greater attention will be paid to early education as well as higher education and vocational training. The aim is to align the education system with the requirements of a digital world. “This is a multifaceted task, ranging from hardware equipment to the preparation of materials; from the education and training of teachers and other educational specialists to modifications in teaching and assessment cultures. This will require the joint effort of numerous stakeholders. The SWK will issue recommendations on what needs to be done for the transformation to succeed,” says IWM director Ulrike Cress.

The work programme covers a period of two years and is debated in the meetings of the KMK. The SWK has already issued two statements this year with recommendations on the implementation of the national action programme “Catching Up After Covid for Children and Teenagers” and on the “Further Development of the KMK Strategy ‘Education in the Digital World.’”

You can download the new SWK work programme (German only) here: https://tinyurl.com/swk2022