Digital everyday life offers many new consumption options to consumers. Yet, they are also confronted with new challenges: Which social networks can I trust? How should I change the settings in an app such that it protects my data? How do I protect my children against cyber-bullying? Should I really get a digital voice assistant for my apartment? In order to be able to answer these questions, consumers need specific competencies. However, research shows that there are deficits regarding these competencies.
Therefore, the German Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs recommended in 2013 to extend consumer education in schools. In the light of this five-year decision, the NRW Ministry of Consumer Protection today invited to a Round Table Consumer Education. The event covered questions regarding the status quo of the implementation of these recommendations in the German federal states, which good examples can be derived, and how the states can ensure that teachers are qualified to impart these new contents.
ConPolicy Managing Director, Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun, moderated the event (link in German). Participants were, amongst others: Christina Schulze Föcking, Minister for Consumer Protection in NRW, Reinhold Jost, Minister for Consumer Protection in Saarland, Yvonne Gebauer, Minister for Education in NRW, as well as Klaus Müller, Executive Director of The Federation of German Consumer Organizations.