Alliance calls for sufficient school places for children from refugee families in Saxony

The "Right to School for All" alliance has called for sufficient places for children from refugee families in Saxon schools. In an open letter to Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (both CDU), it points out that around 1,500 children and young people are currently waiting for a place, which is against compulsory education and violates the basic right to education. The Education and Science Union (GEW) assumes an even higher number.

"School education is a human right and applies to all children and young people regardless of their passport. The Free State of Saxony is violating this right with serious consequences. These children and young people are losing valuable time unnecessarily, which they will find difficult or impossible to make up for later," explained Claudia Maaß, deputy head of the GEW. Learning the German language, a basic requirement for school, integration and social participation, is also being delayed.

The Dresden Council for Foreigners cited further consequences. "Social isolation and the lack of meaningful employment have an impact on the mental health of the young people affected. The increase in depression, lack of prospects and also child endangerment are consequences that our alliance is seeing everywhere in Saxony," stated Managing Director Olga Sperling. The "Right to School for All" alliance is a coalition of more than 30 organizations, associations and representatives.

The Free Voters (FW) in Saxony made the number of children and young people affected public on Monday after a non-attached member of the Saxon state parliament submitted a minor question on the situation in schools. The party warned of a collapse in the education system and also cited the lack of staff as a reason. The integration of children and young people with foreign roots into the school system was no longer guaranteed.

Minister of Education Piwarz had repeatedly drawn attention to the tense situation. By the end of 2023, he believed that schools had already reached their limits due to the high number of children and young people from refugee families. Integration work in a class can only be achieved up to a proportion of around 30 percent of pupils with a migration background, he said. The number of pupils from other countries had tripled in less than ten years.

The "Right to School for All" alliance criticized the "scapegoat mechanism" of declaring children and young people of non-German origin to be the cause of Saxony's "educational emergency". "We are no longer in the summer of 2015. Saxony has simply failed to develop the school system into an institution of the migration society. It needs conceptual, personnel and material resources that are adapted to today's requirements as quickly as possible," said the Refugee Council.