- 4d ago
Germany proposes mandatory language tests for all four-year-olds in €9.25 billion Kita reform
Federal education minister Karin Prien unveiled a draft law on 15 July 2026 that would introduce nationwide standardised language assessments for every four-year-old, backed by €9.25 billion in federal funding through 2034.
- Jul 12
Prien plans €1.6bn parental allowance cut, caps maintenance advance at 16 amid backlash
Federal Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) wants to trim parental allowance from 14 to 12 months, reduce the maintenance advance for children from 18 to 16 years, and use driving bans to pressure deadbeat parents, triggering opposition from SPD, child welfare groups, and the anti-discrimination commissioner.
- Jul 7
Family Minister Prien proposes cutting Elterngeld to 12 months, raising minimum and maximum payouts
Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) has unveiled a draft law that would shorten Germany's parental allowance from 14 to 12 months, while raising the minimum and maximum monthly payments for the first time since 2007. The proposal, still under inter-ministerial review, aims to save €1.6 billion by 2030 and boost fathers' caregiving role.
- Jul 1
Germany tightens democracy funding rules with Verfassungsschutz vetting and shift to mainstream groups
The German Family Ministry published new funding criteria for the 'Demokratie leben!' programme, requiring security vetting for applicants and steering money toward established institutions like schools and fire brigades.
- Jun 24
Australia doubles social media ban fines to A$99m after study shows 85% of teens still online
Australia will double the maximum penalty for social media firms breaching its under-16 ban to A$99 million and give its online safety regulator new powers to compel evidence, as research reveals 85% of 12–15-year-olds still access platforms despite the world-first restriction.
- Jun 16
German education report shows inequality gap opens before school, minister demands mandatory language tests
Germany's latest National Education Report finds that the achievement gap between children of different social backgrounds is already formed by the time they start school, and the education minister is pushing for compulsory language diagnostics for all four-year-olds.
- Jun 11
German Ethics Council rejects blanket social media age limit, proposes three-tier risk-based protection model
The German Ethics Council advised against a statutory minimum age for social media on Thursday, arguing it would push minors toward even less regulated AI chatbots and infringe on parental rights.
- May 28
Yad Vashem to Open First-Ever International Education Center in Munich, with Satellite in Leipzig
Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial has chosen Munich as the site for its first educational center outside Israel, with a smaller branch in Leipzig, in a move to combat rising global antisemitism.
