Minister of Education Sven Teuber: “It’s about more than zeros and one, it is about the basic understanding of digitality”. Whether in the “normal” internet or on social networks – children and adolescents need media literacy to find their way around the digital determined world of today and tomorrow.
30.06.2025
Rheinland-Pfalz
Press release
Ministry of Education Rhineland-Palatinate
But it is not done alone, says the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Education Sven Teuber: “Whoever surfs, you have to know how the World Wide Web works. Anyone who posts or chats on Insta, Tiktok or Snapchat has to know what an algorithm is and how it works. Medify people, because it is a large and ever increasing building block of social participation and thus of educational justice.
Rheinpfalz-Palatinate has massively expanded digital education and media literacy in everyday school life in the past 15 years and has created a very wide and deep offer-from the program “Media Competence Makes School” to AI to digital bookshelf. Now the subject of computer science and thus the basic digital education is also being strengthened: For school year 2025/2026, Rhineland-Palatinate starts with computer science as a compulsory subject-initially at 28 pilot schools (see below), until school year 2028/2029 at all secondary schools.
In four hours, spread over grades 7 to 10, the subject provides answers to the crucial questions of informative education: How is information presented and organized in a computer? How do algorithms and programs work? How does the internet work? Where are my data and are you safe? How does AI affect me and how does it work? How does a digital device, i.e. smartphone, computer, fitness bracelet or game console, work? “This questionnaire alone shows that this is not about niche knowledge for nerds, but about very practical, real life from the everyday life of the students,” says Teuber. “Thus, the computer science lessons become another important and fundamental building block of future education, in addition to the imparting of media literacy, which we have already anchored in many subjects in Rhineland-Palatinate. Information and media education go hand in hand. Only one example: KI can already use all pupils thanks to the Fobizz platform. Thanks to computer science, you get even deeper Background knowledge. “
Teuber: “We take our time and we take everyone involved”
Of course, the introduction of a new school subject is always associated with great challenges. “That is why we take enough time and, above all, take everyone involved: the students, the teachers with their representations, the school authorities,” said Teuber. He is confident that the Rhineland-Palatinate is very well prepared: “We already have computer science in some types of school, we have 21 computer science profile schools, computer science is part of our MINT strategy-so we do not start at zero. And we have already developed a curriculum that can now be further filed on the basis of the experience of the pilot schools.
The four additional hours of computer science are integrated into the hourly table as follows:
- an hour additional;
- Cutting by one hour in the field of natural sciences in the orientation level and simultaneous shift of an hour of sport from the middle school to the orientation level;
- Cutting by one hour in a natural science (for high schools in physics) in the middle school;
- Cutting by one hour in another subject responsible for the school. A cut in the subjects of German, mathematics, religion/ethics as well as in scientific and social science subjects.
“Ministry and school supervision will very strongly accompany and support the schools in the introduction of the subject,” announced Minister Teuber and in particular addressed digital equipment and teacher training. “In Rhineland-Palatinate, around 460 million euros have flowed into the digital infrastructure of the schools in recent years and we will continue to invest a lot. We also want to stamp the digital pact funds with a view to the compulsory subject. Our schools have to remain well equipped.”
In addition, Teuber pointed out that computer science can now be studied at four out of five universities in Rhineland-Palatinate. The country had made it easier for cross and side eggs to enable further and further training for the new compulsory subject and, last but not least, the mandatory connection between mathematics and computer science in the teacher studies was solved. “We know that we need a lot of good and qualified teachers for computer science, so we will strive very much in the coming years.”
Natalie Ahl is the headmistress of the Rheingrafen School Wörrstadt and is very pleased that her school is one of the 28 pilot schools in Rhineland Palatinate. The advantages for AHL are obvious: “For years we have been committed to making school more digital and future -proof – always with the aim of preparing our students in the best possible way in the world of tomorrow. Informatics play a key role. As a pilot school, we would like to actively participate in sustainable and practical in school life. General education. “
The following pilot schools start in the school year 2025/2026 with the compulsory subject computer science:
- Westerwald-Gymnasium Altenkirchen
- Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium Bad Dürkheim
- Nikolaus-von-Kues-Gymnasium Bernkastel-Kues
- St. Willibrod-Gymnasium Bitburg
- Private high school Raiffeisen-Campus Dernbach
- High school in the Herxheim Pamina School Center
- Gymnasium on the Rittersberg Kaiserslautern
- Burggymnasium Kaiserslautern
- Hohenstaufen-Gymnasium Kaiserslautern
- Siebenpfeiffer-Gymnasium Kusel
- Veldenz-Gymnasium Lauterecken
- Mainz-Mombach high school
- State Eifel-Gymnasium Neuerburg
- Regino-Gymnasium Prüm
- Reichswald-Gymnasium Ramstein-Miesenbach
- Saarburg high school
- Private Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Gymnasium Schweich
- Friedrich-Magnus-Schwerd-Gymnasium Speyer
- Wilhelm-Hofmann-Gymnasium St. Goarshausen
- Humboldt-Gymnasium Trier
- Helmholtz-Gymnasium Zweibrücken
- Hofenfels-Gymnasium Zweibrücken
- Integrated comprehensive school Emmelshausen
- Integrated comprehensive school Morbach
- Private Nikolaus-von-Weis Realschule plus Speyer
- Landgraf-Ludwig-Realschule plus Pirmasens
- Paul Schneider Realschule Plus with technical college Sohren-Büchenbeuren
- Rheingrafen School Wörrstadt
