Photo: C. Fischer

The Institut für Bildungsrecht und Bildungsforschung e. V. (IfBB) has been a competence center for all legal issues in education for many years. As an affiliated institute of the Ruhr University Bochum, it researches, for example, issues of national constitutional law as well as the acceptance of private providers or school law in an international context. The IfBB is supported by an association based in Wiesbaden; its academic director is Prof. Dr. Wolfram Cremer (Chair of Public Law and European Law, Ruhr University Bochum).

With the support of SAGST, he and his team are conducting a three-year research project to examine the constitutional framework for the funding of independent schools and the recognition of alternative school qualifications. The IfBB has already contributed additional perspectives to the debate on this topic several times through its legal expert opinions. These activities are to be expanded by 2027 in order to analyze the legal situation in several federal states. In addition, discussions are held with political decision-makers in order to incorporate the concerns of independent schools into the discourse in a targeted manner.

A third field of research is also dedicated to the increasing presence of far-right and right-wing populist movements in schools and education. Here, the institute relies on its own studies and cross-national exchange in order to provide new impetus. "Educational justice and democratic education are inextricably linked," SAGST project manager Jana Weische is convinced. "The IfBB not only looks at current social challenges scientifically, but also actively seeks dialog with politics and administration. Such a combination of theory and practice is extremely useful in order to achieve truly sustainable changes in the education system."