Berlin's Collaborative Education Experience
In the heart of Steglitz, the Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium is undergoing a significant transformation. The school, traditionally a gymnasium, is now in the process of transitioning into a comprehensive school, partnering with two integrated secondary schools. This move, while controversial, is part of a larger plan by the Greens to reshape Berlin's education landscape.
The concept of community schools, where students of different academic abilities are taught together and given tasks tailored to their performance level, is not new to Berlin. However, the city has a low number of comprehensive schools, a situation largely attributed to political conservatism and a preference for maintaining traditional tripartite secondary school structures.
The historical and political factors tied to the German education system's division and regional political preferences after World War II have played a significant role in this resistance. Berlin, like much of West Germany, saw education reform debates centred on confessional schooling and the tripartite secondary school system (Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule). Despite some support for comprehensive schools, conservative political influence grew from the mid-1970s onward, favouring the preservation of separate school types and confessional instruction, limiting the spread of comprehensive models.
Even where comprehensive schools exist in Berlin, they often maintain separate secondary tracks rather than fully integrated schooling, reflecting a compromise between traditional structures and comprehensive ideals. The political and social complexities, including the accommodation of diverse cultural backgrounds and the influence of federal state autonomy in education policy, have long constrained comprehensive school expansion.
Amidst this resistance, the Greens are pushing for change. They aim to double the number of community schools in Berlin by 2031, currently standing at 25 out of approximately 700 schools. The Greens also plan to focus on community schools in new school construction and secure the legal framework for these schools through a separate ordinance.
The merger of schools, however, often results in financial losses, with a loss of at least 10,000 euros for two schools. Yet, the Senate's education administration provides a basic amount and a per-student allowance, capped at 20,000 euros. After merging, comprehensive schools often have more than 1,000 students, which often reaches the cap.
Despite the financial challenges, the Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium's Principal, Tilman Kötterheinrich-Wedekind, reported a positive experience with the partnership so far. In fact, the best Abitur this year was achieved by a student from an integrated secondary school. No performance differences were observed between students from different school types.
The decision on whether the partnership will become a joint school is yet to be made. Regardless, the journey towards comprehensive education in Berlin continues, shaped by the city's unique historical and political context.
References:
[1] "The Role of Private Schools in Germany's Education System." German Watch. 2020.
[2] "The History and Politics of Comprehensive Schools in Berlin." Berlin Education Report. 2019.
In the journey towards comprehensive education in Berlin, the Greens aim to increase the number of community schools, focusing on learning and education-and-self-development, with a goal to double the current count of 25 community schools to 50 by 2031. Even though the merger of schools often presents financial challenges, the principal of Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium, Tilman Kötterheinrich-Wedekind, reported a positive experience in partnership, demonstrating the potential for beneficial learning opportunities in collaboration between school types.
