As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports in its reader letter column, Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) has given up hope for a reform of the Bafög student aid system. The reform is part of the coalition agreement. SZ letter writers react with biting criticism to the minister’s stance.
Bär had previously described Bafög as an “all-inclusive study program,” sparking outrage. One reader accuses her of having an easy time talking when she spends taxpayers’ money on “fantasy projects” like nuclear fusion research – 2.4 billion euros are earmarked for this, with another nine billion by 2029. Instead, the money should go into training young people.
Another reader criticizes Bär’s lack of empathy: she apparently never had to rely on Bafög herself. Denying students an “all-inclusive study program” is “pitiful” for a science minister. The comparison with her own daughter also meets with incomprehension.
The minister herself had blamed the SPD parliamentary group for the reform’s failure – an accusation readers dismiss as “contrary to the truth.” Instead, they see in Bär’s stance a social model that prioritizes social background over merit.
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
