Most employees in Germany are not even aware of the existence of educational leave paid for by the employer. For example, only 1.5 to 2% of all employees in Germany make use of this social right, although according to a survey, 77% of all employees are interested in this offer. We would therefore like to remind employees of the existence of this law, go into history and development and show how education and holidays can be wonderfully combined, especially in England.
An initiative of the ILO
The introduction of educational leave was an initiative of the ILO, the UN’s International Labour Organization, which has taken up the cause of the global spread of social rights. First of all, the situation of workers should be improved by strengthening their social rights and expanding their educational opportunities in the sense of development and participation. In 1974, the Federal Republic of Germany agreed to the request and delegated the implementation of the new employee law to the states.
Educational leave is a matter for the federal states
Educational leave is therefore a social right that exists at the state level. For example, if you apply for educational leave in England , you should first deal with the customs in your state. The Free States of Bavaria and Saxony have so far refrained from putting employees’ entitlement to educational leave into practice.
Only those who do not work in both federal states may apply for educational leave. Whereas in the early days of this law it was mainly blue-collar workers who benefited from educational leave, white-collar workers have now caught up with them.
The conditions for educational leave
Educational leave is usually granted for five days at a time in two consecutive years. It must be approved and paid for by the employer if the conditions for educational leave are met. Employees meet the conditions if their educational leave is committed to the objective of continuing vocational or political training. Personality-building courses also have the chance of recognition. The training provider must provide proof of a certificate from the Employee Training Act (AwbG).
Why educational leave in England?
England is a popular destination for educational leave, especially since mastering a foreign language is a lifelong process. In terms of the relevance of foreign languages, English is the undisputed number one. English is the native language spoken in the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and is the official, commercial and lingua franca in 80 other countries.
As a world language, the whole world is oriented towards the English language, so that communication in English is possible in almost all countries. Digitization has further strengthened the importance of English, as the language has now become the prerequisite for sharing important and interesting information in private life as well.
In the course of globalization, mastering English is helpful in many professions when applying for jobs and on the career ladder. In some job advertisements, it is even a prerequisite. Numerous language schools offer official qualifications such as the prestigious Cambridge Certificate for proven foreign language skills at various levels. The degrees are recognized by 13,500 universities, companies and institutions and are a strong sign of performance and willingness for employers.
History and culture
In addition to linguistic reasons, English history and culture also speak in favour of educational leave with added value. With the victory over the Armada in the Elizabethan era, England replaced Spain as the dominant nation in Europe in 1588. In the centuries that followed, England was at the head of a world empire, the British Empire, which ruled over 25% of all territories worldwide and where the sun never set.
English colonists founded states in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and important impulses for science, trade, diplomacy and culture came from the island state. Even when, after the experiences of two world wars, the colonial peoples rose up, no longer wanting to be cannon fodder for the conflicts of foreign masters, England succeeded in retaining many of them through the Commonwealth and consolidating the relations that had grown historically. King Charles III is now head of state of the 15 member states.
After all, English rock music inspired the whole world and provided the atmospheric accompaniment to the liberation impulses after 1968. It gave rise to the legendary English punk.
The process of educational leave
Providers of educational leave in England have opened their doors in the most beautiful regions of England. The combination of the trip with the premises of a language school is a matter of course and leisure time or an attractive supporting program are also given a high priority. The symbiosis of vacation and education is not only what constitutes educational leave in the literal sense of the word, even if in some federal states there is somewhat more sessed talk of educational leave or educational time.
Food and board are usually covered by the organiser, who covers the costs through the price of the educational leave. Last but not least, good providers pay attention to exciting community experiences that can be used to make contacts for life and to develop friendships with like-minded people, with whom you can talk in English or German, depending on your mood.
In which regions of England is it most beautiful?
England has a lot to offer and many regions offer special charms. The cosmopolitan city of London with its 9 million inhabitants is always an experience and famous sights such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the oldest dungeon in the world make the connoisseur click his tongue.
Beautiful coastal towns are Brighton, Bournemouth and – the Gulf Stream makes it possible – the “English Riviera” in Torquay. If you want to experience the sublime atmosphere of English elite universities, you should take an educational holiday in Oxford or Cambridge , while Manchester and Liverpool are classic working-class cities that can be compared to the Ruhr area.
The offer should be used
The attractive offer of educational leave exists and all you have to do is grab it to enjoy it. If you have decided to take an educational holiday, England is a good choice, because the country behind the English Channel has a lot to offer in terms of culture, history and landscape, while refining your language skills in the age of globalisation and digitalisation is guaranteed to help everyone.
When choosing a provider, it is not only the quality of the language courses that is decisive, but also the accommodation and leisure activities. If you find a good provider, you learn for life, spend wonderful days and enrich your biography.
