Half-year reports are distributed

Before more than half a million pupils in Saxony start their two-week winter vacation, they will receive their half-year report cards this Friday. According to the Ministry of Education, these will give parents and pupils the chance to take stock and consider together what can be improved before the end of the school year.

Children should not be left alone with poor grades. A hotline will be set up on Friday, where competent contact persons from the State Office for Schools and Education will be on hand to offer advice. "No one should start the winter vacations with unanswered questions or unhappy," said Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU).

In total, there are half-year reports for 520,350 pupils. Of these, 153,550 are at elementary school, 19,900 at special schools, 122,000 at secondary schools and 111,000 at grammar schools. There are also 1250 at community schools, 3300 at Waldorf schools, 1900 at secondary schools and 105,550 at vocational schools.

On Friday, around 33,800 primary school pupils will receive their educational recommendation for secondary school or grammar school with their school reports. Their parents then have until March 1 to register their children at a school of their choice. According to the ministry, around 75 percent of parents followed the educational recommendation issued last school year.