Berlin's senator is the verdict: Free food in danger!

Berlin's senator is the verdict: Free food in danger!

Berlin, Deutschland - The discussion about free school meals and the student tickets in Berlin reached a new highlight. Education Senator Katharina Günther-Lüsch (CDU) questioned these important topics and demands a serious debate about the financability of these services. The state spends around half a billion euros annually for free offers to elementary schoolchildren, which in the current financial situation of the city is no longer without further justification, as it emphasizes in its appeal. Her criticism of the so-called "free mentality" in particular is aimed at the fact that 70 percent of primary school children come to school by car or on foot and that a cost review is therefore critical of success, reports rbb24 .

Another central argument of the senator is the high waste rate for school lunches. About a third of these meals end up in the trash, while the annual expenses for school lunch are around 180 million euros. With these figures, Günther-Wünsch goes on the terrain of prioritization of expenses-she believes that the funds should be increasingly steered into the quality of education. However, the SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh replies that school lits, student tickets and the free daycare care should be retained.

financial considerations and political constellations

The discussion is conducted against the background of Berlin's high education expenditure, which are the highest compared to other federal states. This also includes the costs for daycare centers, public transport and lunch. Despite these high expenses, Berlin has often not cut off well in performance comparison, but has shown progress in recent years. There are also questions about the need for the free student ticket, especially since families are included in the financing of lunch in other cities such as Hamburg, depending on the income.

Günther-Lüsch demands that the supporters of the "free-for-all" principle to justify cuts in other areas and questions whether it is justified that all students benefit from these services if many parents could afford it. A discourse on the possibility of introducing different contributions depending on the financial situation of the families could be a solution.

The next steps in the educational budget

The senator wants to make drastic decisions in the upcoming budget consultations for education. The legislative committee has already decided to draft 2026/2027, and the final adoption of the household is planned until the end of the year. In the meantime, the upbringing and science trade union expresses criticism, since, in her opinion, the household cannot solve any of the urgent problems, which leads to fears about inadequate funds for increases in tariffs.

The planned focus in the educational department for the next two years includes the improvement of the daycare center-up key, the expansion of family centers and the continuation of the school building offensive and prevention measures against youth power. These initiatives show that despite the uncertainties in the financing area, the focus remains on a quality education for all students. While the question of financing school meals and student tickets is further discussed, the commitment to freedom of learning up to the 6th grade remains unchallenged, despite annual expenditure of 20 to 25 million euros.