Ruling by German Federal Constitutional Court offers opportunity.
Berlin, 21 July 2014 – Professors with different regional and academic backgrounds called for a shift of public funds from child care subsidies to day care facilities in Germany. This is the core demand in a statement by 24 academics issued after the German Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling, which has declared the child care subsidy unconstitutional. Two of the signatories, Michaela Kreyenfeld and Klaus Hurrelmann, are professors at the Hertie School. Hurrelmann coordinated the drafting of the statement.
According to the statement, child care subsidies represent contradicting family and educational policies: “By subsidizing education by parents as well as day care facilities politics is creating ambivalent incentives for both parents and educational institutions.” The signatories of the statement criticized this as misguided aid, because research has shown that day care facility subsidies are the most effective way to aid the development of children – especially those at a socio-economic disadvantage.
You can read the full German press release and statement here.