Christian education grows in Germany; six new schools open their doors
Children wait at the schoolyard before entering the building to attend school lessons at the Petri primary school in Dortmund, western Germany. Photo AFP, Ina Fassbender
Central Europe
The number of Christian schools in Germany is growing again this autumn, with six new schools being founded.
Two schools in Markkleeberg (town near Leipzig in Saxony) have already opened. In a few days' time, another school will open its doors in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, one in Kirspe near Gummersbach in North Rhine-Westphalia, and two in the north of Baden-Württemberg (one in Crailsheim and one in Schorndorf).
This was announced last Wednesday by the Association of Protestant Confessional Schools and Kindergartens (VEBS) in Karlsruhe. The association unites 175 Protestant schools and 46 kindergartens at 128 locations, all of which were founded by parents and are run by religious staff.
Hurdle
The establishment of Christian confessional schools is a right of citizens in Germany, enshrined in the constitution. Nevertheless, there are high hurdles to overcome when establishing a school. The biggest hurdle is that in most federal states, there are no state subsidies for the first three years.
“The many successful Christian schools that we have been able to support for years are a great miracle for which we are grateful to God. In this way, we can send a visible sign of his greatness and love”, says Professor Wolfgang Stock, General Secretary of the VEBS.
The Protestant schools in the VEBS are not only grateful for the committed founding parents and the approvals from the authorities, but also for the good supply of teachers despite a general shortage of teachers. The biggest problem with school foundations in Germany at the moment is finding suitable buildings and then having them approved as schools by the authorities.
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