Als Moderatorin der zweiten Online-Gesprächsrunde zum 20-jährigen TiL-Jubiläum hatte ich das Vergnügen, mit Katja Urbatsch und Lisa Graf über die Bedeutung von Stipendienprogrammen für Schülerinnen und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Bildungsgerechtigkeit in Deutschland zu diskutieren. Das Thema „Vorbild oder Feigenblatt? – Können Stipendienprogramme strukturelle Herausforderungen in Bezug auf Bildungsgerechtigkeit ausgleichen?“ führte zu einer fesselnden Debatte.

Lisa Graf, a former high school teacher, is now committed to more educational equality in Germany as an author, consultant and speaker. Katja Urbatsch is the founder of Arbeiterkind.de, a platform for students from non-academic families. She heads this non-profit initiative with an impressive network of mentors and volunteers.

We discussed the impact of structural disadvantage on people from non-academic families. In Germany, the educational path still depends heavily on social background. Lisa Graf emphasized the difference between individual and structural problems, as individual challenges can be overcome by those affected, while structural inequalities are not within their control alone.

Lisa Graf described her experiences as a former teacher and how structural injustice is reflected in everyday school life. In the German education system, family involvement is seen as a decisive factor for educational success, which leads to financial hurdles and limited cultural participation, especially for students from working-class families.

Wir warnten davor, den Bildungsaufstieg ausschließlich positiv zu betrachten und betonten die Bedeutung der Bezeichnung „Aufsteigerin“. Es ist wichtig, den Wert von Ausbildungsberufen nicht geringer zu bewerten als den von Studienabschlüssen. Wir sollten auch diejenigen nicht übersehen, die trotz Potenzial im Bildungssystem scheitern.

Can scholarship programs like TiL and initiatives like Arbeiterkind.de reduce the pressure for change? As long as educational inequality exists, we must continue to support as many students as possible. Former scholarship recipients often become mentors and multipliers who bring about change or start their own initiatives.

A fairer education for all students in Germany requires a shared commitment. And everyone can do something about it: help others and become an education agent.