New inclusion system in Berlin: Teacher positions in danger!

New inclusion system in Berlin: Teacher positions in danger!

in Berlin is the new school year at the door, and with it the introduction of a revised system for the awarding of funding hours for pupils with special educational needs. From summer 2025, the previous system, which was primarily geared towards socially disadvantaged children, will be replaced by a new regulation that provides basic equipment and must be requested as required. This changeover already ensures discussions and concerns among educational experts and school management.

Especially at the Christian Morgenstern primary school in Berlin-Spandau, where around 600 children learn, this becomes clear. Headmistress Karina Jehniche expresses that although she recognizes the need to adapt, it has worried that fewer teaching positions are provided with the new hourly system. Of the total of 600 students, 66 special educational needs have, which also strengthens the challenge for the school. The opposition, including the left and the Greens, criticizes the new regulation as a step backwards in inclusive education.

discussion about inclusion

The Education Committee of the Berlin House of Representatives is currently discussing the new regulation. SPD MP Marcel Hopp emphasizes the importance of needs-based support for children with special needs, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers. However, the education administration defends the changes as more precise, which is a significant challenge in view of the increasing numbers of children with special needs, especially in the areas of "intellectual development" and "emotional-social development".

The integration of children with disabilities into the education system is firmly anchored in the Berlin School Act. Parents have the opportunity to decide which type of school their child should attend, and the participation services offer support in selection as well as in integration and other questions. In addition to these offers, there are school psychological and inclusion educational advice and support centers (SiBuz) in every Berlin district, which are particularly important for the school career.

overall context of school inclusion

As a study by the Berlin Science Center for Social Research from autumn 2021 shows, the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons in Germany is still incomplete. In several federal states, including Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, there have been little progress or step back since the convention came into force in 2009. The transformation process for inclusive regular school offers has already been better advanced in some federal states such as Bremen or Lower Saxony.

Inclusive education remains a central topic in German education policy. But although the inclusion rate at regular schools is increasing, there is no simultaneous reduction in the number of students at special schools in many regions. This questions the reliable measurement of the reform progress and shows that the overall social challenge of inclusion is far from overcome.