For some it is already too much to juggle a degree programme and a side job. Indra Remmel and Janice Krebs, however, are mastering their full-time studies in addition to their full-time jobs as moms.
After a few years of working, Indra decided to start a degree programme. What is extraordinary: she already had two daughters – back then one and three years old. Janice got pregnant during her second semester in the master’s programme in Trade Journalism. She did not doubt for one second and decided to have the child – while continuing to study. “I had just completed my second semester, the baby came one month later”, says Janice. Now, she proudly holds her master’s degree.
According to a survey from winter semester 2021/22, nearly six percent of THWS students have children. Also across Germany, six percent of students have children according to the 21st Social Survey of Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW). These numbers are quite low compared to other European countries. And because minorities are easily overlooked, lecturers might not realise that students have to care for children. If, for example, a lecture must spontaneously be rescheduled, the alternative date is often in the evening. Because lecturers assume that students are free then. However, childcare is often only secured for the mornings. Thus, parents are faced with an organisational problem: Either arranging for a babysitter spontaneously – or skipping the lecture. This shows: It’s not always easy to study as a parent. This might be one of the reasons that the numbers are so low. Change is necessary either way.
Project ProPere: Reconciliation of work and family life
The University has implemented various measures to achieve this change. One of these measures is the project “Professorial Personnel Development and Recruiting” (“ProPere”). As the name suggests, the project is targeted towards THWS employees. But the ProPere sub-project “Reconciliation of work and family life” also takes students into account.
The central aim of THWS is the auditing as family-friendly higher education institution. In 2022, this included a status quo evaluation, a strategic workshop, and an auditing workshop, in which not only representatives of the employees’ group participated but also Indra as student representative. A target agreement was made during the auditing workshop which will be implemented within the next three years in order to make study and working conditions at THWS more family-friendly. In December 2022, the berufundfamilie Service GmbH certified that THWS successfully performed the audit familiengerechte hochschule. A re-auditing is planned for December 2025.
Communication is the key to meeting self-set goals according to Professor Tanja Mühling, who teaches at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and who is in charge of this ProPere sub-project. Thus, employees had to be more aware about the fact that there were students with children, who thus had to be considered accordingly. Solutions and ideas to support students should also be made public. In addition, the already existing offers and opportunities should be better communicated and made known on a wide basis. For example, there already are parent-child-rooms at THWS, and nappy-changing facilities at all THWS locations. Pregnancies and raising children can also pose a valid reason for deadline extensions according to the General Examination Regulations (APO). General regulations like maternity protection and parental leave of course also apply to students.
“We want to acquire students and support them in their successful course of studies”, Mühling explains. “It is not within the interest of the job market nor of THWS that students drop out of university just because they do have children.” This is for example why it was laid down in the target agreement that by 2025 all faculties must grant students with familial requirements preference with their course choices. Within the course of the ProPere sub-project, a babysitting exchange has been established, and also a virtual family portal, which provides important information, e.g. that in special or emergency situations leading to a gap in childcare, a parent may bring their child with them to the lecture so that the parent can still participate.
Wishes to facilitate everyday life
Also students themselves have wishes and aims, which are supposed to promote the facilitation of their studies. Among them a meeting place, e.g. in the form of a parent café where parents can meet other parents to talk to, support each other, or financial support for immediate childcare if e.g. lectures where rescheduled last-minute, as well as schedules being provided a few weeks before the semester start so that there is still time to organise childcare.
Furthermore, there should be more hybrid course offers to increase flexibility, and early course selection for students with children to secure them a place in courses that take place during regular childcare hours. It would also make sense to have a general regulation allowing parents to bring their children to lectures. ”I was simply lucky that my lecturer was so supportive because otherwise I could not have taken the course and thus could not have completed my studies”, says Janice. The goal is that after these three years, it is no longer down to mere luck.
The corona pandemic posed an additional challenge to students with children. Indra, for example, had to split her internship semester into two semesters in order to secure care for her children. “Additional child sick days would ease students‘ lives“, says Indra. Because there are only six days of sick leave during an internship semester. Janice on the other side did not have problems with her daughter’s sick days: “She was actually only sick once. I was only one hour late. It was no problem. And this was the only time I was absent“.
Tips for studying with children
Some problems are already being tackled while others are a little harder to solve. But this is also clear to students. Indra has some useful tips for everyone looking to study successfully with children. In addition to clear and disciplined organisation, having a financial basis and financial security are essential. She recommends to “get all the financial support“ possible.
Students can enquire with the BAföG-Amt about possible funding. The elternunabhängige BAföG can be a good option. “I do not at all regret having studied”, says Indra. “To me, this was a huge continuing education programme which I enjoyed a lot.”
It is also important to get supported by the environment, as Janice knows. “The most difficult part was the master’s thesis because then my daughter was already older and had to be occupied. At some points I did not know whether I could actually complete my master’s thesis.” Janice could only work on her thesis while her daughter had her afternoon nap. Sometimes, the grandparents would support Janice and watch her daughter. “Had I realised that it’s becoming impossible and that I had to neglect the child, I would have dropped out of the degree programme or would’ve postponed it“, Janice emphasises. “However, I was relatively sure that I could manage.”
