Bremen initiates a rigorous academic term
In the bustling city of Bremen, the education sector is grappling with a significant increase in student numbers. Sascha Karolin Aulepp, Senator for Children and Education, has candidly admitted that the situation remains challenging.
As of the current school year, approximately 100 more teaching positions need to be filled compared to the previous one. To address this, the city has initiated the "Back to School" program, which currently strengthens the teaching staff with 142 individuals. Furthermore, 216 student teachers will start their training in Bremen this school year, including 42 in Bremerhaven.
To accommodate the growing number of students, more schools have been built and mobile units installed in Bremen than ever before in such a short time. One more elementary school will be added in Burglesum as a mobile building this school year. Additionally, 30 classrooms will be created by the end of the year through extensions.
Schools with high challenges and high support needs for students rely heavily on bound full-day schools. Bremen is at the forefront of this trend, with around one-third of bound full-day schools, far ahead of Hamburg (around 14%) and Berlin (around 12%).
The organizational work required to accommodate the increasing number of students is extensive and costs a lot of money. However, despite these challenges, 99% of teaching positions have been filled in Bremen's schools.
For the 2025/2026 school year, a total of 222 class cohorts are planned for grade 5 in secondary schools, which is 38 more than the number of students completing grade 10 at the end of the 2024/2025 school year. This indicates a continued growth trend in student numbers.
In an effort to further bolster the teaching staff, 18 more teachers will prepare for their teaching service through the part-time lateral entry B program. Additionally, 15 teachers with a foreign teaching qualification will prepare for their teaching service in an adaptation course at the LIS.
Despite the challenges, Bremen has trained significantly more student teachers in recent years, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining a robust education system in the face of growth. The senator, Sascha Karolin Aulepp, remains optimistic, urging continued efforts to meet the needs of Bremen's ever-expanding student population.
