In an interview with the online magazine "Campus Schulmanagement", Prof. Marcel Helbig talks about his project to break down educational barriers (ABBAUBAR), the "Startchancen" programme and the problems of fair distribution of resources.

Read the complete interview in German language (external link)

Read a short summary of the interview: 

More money for poor schools: A gamble with risks and side effects.

What is the "Startchancen" programme? 
The "Startchancen" programme is another attempt to finance the education system in a more needs-based way so that disadvantaged schools in particular are supported and equal opportunities are increased.

What has education funding been like in Germany so far?
Prof Helbig compares the distribution system of funds to a watering can. Every child got the same amount. However, this neglects the fact that some children need more than others to achieve educational success. Prof Helbig also criticises the lack of empirical data, which makes it difficult to formulate reliable approaches with a major impact.

What is the general data situation?
Due to the multi-level system and a number of cultural and political reasons, it is sometimes challenging to ascertain an effects. Nevertheless, there are currently a considerable number of funding programmes that began at a relatively similar time, which enhances the data availability to a certain extent, as can be observed in Hamburg in particular.

What are the challenges of the "Startchancen" programme?
Professor Helbig identifies a significant challenge in the clarity of the programme, which could have a negative impact on the efficiency of the funding measures.
“There is therefore no overview of where school social work is sufficiently available and where it is not.”, he states.

What is Prof. Helbig's counter-proposal?
Based on the "ABBAUBAR" project, it would make more sense to get an overview first. Finally, it should be determined how the programmes can be effectively combined with additional resources. The design of the programme also lacks specifics for implementation.

What can the "Startchancen" programme achieve?
The obligation of the federal states to distribute the funds they have been allocated according to certain indicators at school level is very progressive. 
The requirements for this are that the child poverty rate and migration.
Other background characteristics of the schools are also often taken into account when distributing the funds, which will lead to the development of a social index. 
In other words, a data-based statement of which schools are more socially disadvantaged and which are less so.