Increasing student population in Berlin shows no signs of abating - Escalating Situation: Increasing Number of Students in Berlin Face No Relief
The new school year in Berlin is off to a challenging start, with many classrooms overcrowded and a shortage of around 25,000 school places across the city. According to the Left in the House of Representatives, there could be as many as 1,500 teaching staff shortages this year.
The situation has been exacerbated by the influx of refugee children of school age since 2015, which has led to a significant increase in the number of students in public general schools. As of the summer holidays, there are approximately 408,000 students enrolled, an increase of over 4,000 from last year.
To address the pressing need for school places, the newly opened Grundschule am Koppelweg in Britz (Neukölln) will cater to the demand from the 2025/2026 school year, providing space for up to 432 children and alleviating overcrowding in the south of Neukölln. The Senatsverwaltung für Bildung is also creating new school places to manage the city's growth and gradually relieve the burden on schools. By the 2025/2026 school year, an estimated 8,550 new school places will be available.
In addition to new school buildings, expansions at existing schools have created around 2,800 new school places. However, the demand for places at upper secondary centers remains uncertain. While there are 900 places available at 15 upper secondary centers, it's unclear how many will be filled in the new school year, as around 800 young people have registered.
To help students who are unsure about their future after the 10th grade, a new 11th grade is being introduced. This grade focuses on practical lessons, individual support, and internships to help students orient themselves professionally.
The situation at schools in Berlin has also led to the employment of more than 3,130 trainee teachers, more than half of whom are career changers. Despite this, there are currently around 640 teaching positions unfilled, a number that may increase in the coming weeks.
To accommodate the needs of children with little or no German language skills, there are now almost 990 so-called welcome classes. A new welcome school is planned for Hasenheide in Kreuzberg, while the welcome school in Tegel is set to move.
School construction cannot be scaled back in the future, according to Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch. However, the conversion of the previous large refugee accommodation in Tegel into a central arrival center for refugees will accommodate significantly fewer people.
In light of these challenges, it is clear that the Berlin education system is under immense pressure. Efforts are being made to address the shortages and overcrowding, but it remains to be seen how effectively these measures will alleviate the strain on schools and teachers in the coming years.
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