Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU), the senator for education, visited a Berlin elementary school to provide information about the new school year, which begins on Monday.
© dpa
As in previous years, the number of students at general education schools in Berlin has reached a record high. In the new school year, which begins on Monday, 404,910 students will be enrolled there. That is a further increase of just over 1,200 compared to last school year, according to Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU). According to the figures, 35,550 children will be starting school this year—274 fewer than in 2025.
According to the senator, as things stand now, 500 full-time teaching positions will remain unfilled for the 2026–2027 school year. The final number will not be determined until November. Progress has been made in recent years in reducing the shortage, but the issue remains “challenging,” the senator said. Most recently, the demand for teachers has risen slightly again due to agreements with the GEW union aimed at reducing the workload of school staff. In total, approximately 35,700 teachers work in Berlin’s public schools, though not all of them work full-time.
Günther-Wünsch reported progress on the Senate’s “School Construction Initiative,” which has been underway for several years. According to her, approximately 8,000 new school seats will be available in the new school year. The senator emphasized that the new construction and renovation program must continue - despite the decline in birth rates. “We must continue to build new schools. The classrooms are still full. Our goal is to ease the pressure here.”