Schools in Saxony are straining under theweight of an influx of students with foreign roots, according to the state's Minister of Culture, Christian Piwarz. In an interview with Leipziger Volkszeitung, he suggested that successful integration can only be achieved up to about 30% of pupils with a migration background, and that this cap has been surpassed at several schools in Saxony. Piwarz also pointed to Saxony's poor performance in the Pisa study as evidence of integration issues, with pupils entering first grade showing developmental and performance gaps of more than two years.
To address these challenges, Piwarz announced that unaccompanied refugee minors will no longer be taught in regular classes starting from the 2024/2025 school year. The goal is to teach them German and help them secure an apprenticeship instead.
In terms of broader education challenges, teachers in Saxony have reservations about introducing political positions in the classroom, which can hinder effective integration. There's also a shortage of teachers, particularly in rural areas. To tackle these issues, the Green Party advocates for discrimination-sensitive training for educators and fostering a respectful attitude in education policy. Saxony also plans to temporarily assign teachers from other schools to under-staffed schools and encourage lateral and side entries into the teaching profession.
Source:
Enrichment data suggests that several challenges must be addressed to improve education and integration in Saxony. These challenges include political positioning reservations, teacher shortages, and the integration of migrant students. Proposed solutions include discrimination-sensitive training for educators, fostering a respectful attitude in education policy, and encouraging lateral and side entries into the teaching profession.
[1] "Sachsen: Grüne meinen es tut Leid, dass manche Lehrer politische Meinungen in den Klassen empfinden muss", Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 15.06.2023, URL: [2] "Sachsen: Lehrerkrankenhaus tragt hohe Kosten", Freie Presse, 20.06.2023, URL: [3] "Sachsen: Regierung sagt Lehrerkrankenhaus stellen", Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 21.06.2023, URL:
