Fundamental right to internet

Education is a fundamental right – hardware and software, literacy and WLAN are not. We stand up for fair access to technology and the Internet, which is the only way to guarantee educational equity in the future. We also stand for a right to the Internet and low-threshold access to the associated technical resources.

Just as every child learns to read, write and do math, we are convinced that they must learn how to use digital media. This includes an understanding of code as well as a basic knowledge of the complexes of media criticism, data protection and navigation. 

Digital and media education

We call for the establishment of a central institution that trains associations, schools and universities in the media context. In addition to didactics, methods and tools, it should also cover the topics of media science and media criticism, i.e. the complex of media usage skills. This office should by no means establish new hierarchies, but rather serve as a first point of contact where teachers and lecturers can obtain information and further training on the topic of media education. Linked to this point should be an OER repository, in which freely available learning resources can be made available, shared and used collectively.

OPEN as standard

In order to promote free access to knowledge, political and economic incentives are needed to promote open access software, open education and open science. Data security, comprehensibility and transparency, but above all the issues of accessibility, accessibility and flexibility guide the OPEN complex. UNESCO has recently put the topic of OER on its agenda, and the EU should do the same. We see ourselves as an independent institution for which openness is a top priority. 

Lifelong learning

Agility is the keyword of the day – everything is agile, our education systems are not. A more equitable, equally distributed access to education through the meaningful use of open materials and digital methods can only be advanced by competent dedicated mentors. The training of knowledge mediators of all kinds, whether in schools, universities, or the broader education sector, urgently needs to be enriched by in-depth training in the field of media education. Here, too, a broad, central strategy is needed to prepare our lecturers for the future, so that learners encounter an educational sector that is truly based on equal opportunities.