This school year, more children were enrolled in school than in 20 years. The Federal Statistical Office cited two reasons as reasons.
Around 830,600 children started school in the current school year, more than in 20 years. According to preliminary information from the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the number rose by 2.1 percent compared to the previous year. This is due to higher birth rates and increased immigration, especially from Ukraine.
The authority registered the increase in almost all federal states; it was highest in Baden-Württemberg (plus 6.9 percent) and Saarland (plus 6.9 percent). The numbers had already risen sharply in the previous school year and were now even higher. According to the information, more children were last enrolled in school in the 2003/2004 school year.
A little more boys
When they started school in 2023, 51.2 percent of the children were boys and 48.8 percent were girls, as the Federal Office announced. The majority of children (93.5 percent) began their school career at a primary school. 3.1 percent were enrolled in special schools, 2.5 percent in integrated comprehensive schools and 0.9 percent in independent Waldorf schools.
As a background to the increase in children enrolled in school, the Federal Office explained that at the end of 2022 there were a total of 4.2 percent more five to seven year olds living in Germany compared to the previous year. The increase was 1.3 percent among children with German citizenship and 21.3 percent among children with foreign citizenship – the majority of whom come from Ukraine. The exact proportion of Ukrainian children among those enrolled in school cannot be quantified.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
