Independent voters warn of school system collapse

The Free Voters (FW) in Saxony believe that the integration of children and young people with foreign roots into the school system is no longer guaranteed and warn of a collapse. "The figures show alarming conditions. The number of preparatory classes for German as a second language has almost doubled compared to 2016 and 2017," explained FW leader Thomas Weidinger on Monday. He was referring to a question from Stephan Hösl, a non-attached member of the state parliament. The former CDU member had left the CDU/CSU in February and joined the Free Voters, who are not represented in the state parliament.

"The teachers who are bound by integration are doing an admirable job. But these teacher capacities are then lacking elsewhere," emphasized Weidinger, referring to the high level of teaching absenteeism. "It is in the first years of school that we lay the foundation for the children's entire educational biography. It is telling that elementary school in areas with a particularly high proportion of immigrants now set learning German as a class objective for Year 1. That used to be reading and writing. Where is that supposed to lead?"

The Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs announced that around 1,500 school-age children and young people from immigrant families are currently unable to attend school due to a lack of places. Weidinger considers this scandalous. "Compulsory schooling was apparently yesterday. Instead, we are already seeing a large waiting list for schooling." A lack of integration is causing the "social problems of tomorrow, for which we ourselves are responsible", he explained.

The education system is at a tipping point. What is needed are measures to control immigration and targeted investment in the education system.