Dilapidated buildings, frustrated students and teachers witnessing a rise in attacks: The German education system is seen to be struggling.

Germany’s schools have had a lot of bad news in recent months. In December the PISA study showed German pupils falling behind in mathematics and reading. Last month’s 2024 Youth Study showed a digitalization deficit in schools, with students saying they don’t feel prepared to find a job and manage the challenges of real life. Then a survey conducted in April known as the Schulbarometer (school barometer) had one in two teachers reporting that they had witnessed psychological or physical violence from pupils.

…

The Berlin education minister recently had to send a letter to 800 schools to warn them that a false report was going viral on Tiktok, urging participation in a “National Rape Day.”