Education Ministers Adopted a Joint Declaration on Social Media in Schools (Germany, June 2026)
The Conference of Education Ministers adopted a joint declaration on the use and risks of social media in the school context. The declaration is built around the principles of raising awareness, strengthening competence and protecting children and young people.
The Conference of Education Ministers adopted a joint declaration on the use and risks of social media in the school context. The declaration is built around the principles of raising awareness, strengthening competence and protecting children and young people.
What Changed?
The states agreed on common goals and measures to strengthen media competence among students, teachers and parents, with specific attention to fake news, cyberbullying, data protection, deepfakes, digital manipulation pressure and digital resilience.
Old System vs New System
German states addressed media education and child protection through their own strategies and programs, but a June 2026 BMK-wide declaration created a shared education-sector framework for social media in schools.
Schools are positioned as central actors in helping young people use digital media critically, safely and responsibly while cooperating more closely with parents and wider society.
Who Is Affected?
Student Impact
Students can expect stronger emphasis on critical source evaluation, cyberbullying prevention, privacy awareness, deepfake recognition and healthier social media habits.
Parent / Family Impact
Parents are explicitly included as partners in media education and may receive more information or support from schools and state programs.
School / Institution Impact
Schools may need to strengthen prevention, support structures, digital resilience activities and media education across subjects and school life.
Teacher / Staff Impact
Teachers may need updated professional development and classroom resources for social media risks, misinformation, digital stress and democracy education in digital spaces.
Key Dates
- Declaration adopted: 2026-06-12.
What To Do
- Schools and families should review state-level media education materials and watch for implementation guidance linked to the BMK declaration.
What To Watch Next
The next step is state-level translation of the declaration into programs, guidance, teacher training and parent-facing support.
Global Context
The declaration reflects a wider international policy shift from treating social media as a purely private issue toward integrating digital resilience, safety and democratic competence into school education.
Source Record
Source type: Official announcement
Source name: Bildungsministerkonferenz (BMK) / Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)