Voices from Affected Community Members on the Issue of Berlin School Funding

Parents and students across Berlin are raising alarms over classroom overcrowding and strained integration programs in public schools this summer.

The SPD-led coalition is finalizing its 2027 education allocations amid competing demands from housing costs and the Energiewende push, which has increased utility bills for many school buildings by 18 percent since last year.

At the Heinrich-Heine-Gymnasium on Köpenicker Straße in Kreuzberg, Turkish-German families report waits of up to three weeks for language support slots, while a nearby after-school program run by the Türkische Gemeinde zu Berlin at its Neukölln center on Sonnenallee has cut evening tutoring hours due to staffing shortfalls.

City education department figures released in June show average class sizes in primary schools reached 27.4 pupils in 2025, compared with 24.1 in 2022, with the sharpest rises recorded in districts with large migrant populations.

Daily strains described by families

One mother whose children attend a Grundschule near Oranienplatz said her daughter now shares a desk with two others during math lessons because of space limits. Another parent from the same area noted that the school canteen serves lunch only until 1 p.m., forcing working families to arrange private care that costs 120 euros monthly per child.

Students at a vocational college in Wedding echoed the pattern, describing canceled elective courses in computer science after two teachers left without replacements in April.

Next steps for residents

The education senate has scheduled open meetings at the Rathaus Kreuzberg on 22 July and at the Neukölln town hall on 29 July for residents to submit input before final budget votes in September. Families can register comments through the district education offices or by email to the relevant Bezirksamt by 18 July.