Dispute over state influence: Landtag debates about schools!

Dispute over state influence: Landtag debates about schools!

This day, July 16, 2025, the state parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is at the center of a lively debate about the role of the role of state interventions in schools. This discussion was initiated by two remarkable cases that the Greifswald administrative court rated as illegal. In particular, the AfD brought up the topic in the state parliament, whereby an incident from Ribnitz-Damgarten received special attention that was about a 16-year-old student.

The student had been brought out of class on the Internet due to the sharing of "state protection relevant content" in order to talk about her actions in a prevention discussion. Another case concerned a ninth grader who presumably presented a right-wing extremist "white power" gesture in the Auschwitz memorial and received a reference. In both cases, the court decided that the measures of the schools were illegal. The AfD interprets these decisions as proof of an exuberant political influence in schools, while Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD) clarifies that the measures were not fundamentally inadmissible, but were considered disproportionate.

political reactions and opinions

level criticizes the AfD, which exploits the individual cases for their political purposes. CDU politician Torsten Renz supports Pegel's view and emphasizes that there is no state indoctrination in schools. In addition, Renz questioned the public statement of Minister of Education Sabine Oldenburg (Die Linke) on the case of the ninth grader. In these discussions, the mechanisms and the responsibility of the state are also highlighted in education, which includes far-reaching regulatory and control skills.

Education is a central policy field that combines different interests and challenges. The state is the most important player in the German education system, both as a provider and as a carrier of educational institutions. In the school and university area, he has monopoly-like positioning conditions. More than 80% of educational financing come from countries and communities, which underlines the dependence on state regulations and political decisions. Controversies about school structures and educational content are often part of the public discussion, especially with regard to the awareness that has been achieved by international studies such as PISA.

security questions and data protection

Another point that must be mentioned in the context of this debate is the safety of the schools itself. In Ribnitz-Damgarten, unknown perpetrators have gained an access to an internal network of the high school there. Such incidents not only raise questions about cyber security, but also underline the increasing challenges in front of which educational institutions are facing. Protecting sensitive data is becoming increasingly important, especially at a time when state supervision and control are often controversial.

This debate in the state parliament is not only a reflection of the current political situation, but also an important building block in the larger context of education policy and state influence. While the schools try to cushion unrest and uncertainty, the question remains how much influence the state should actually have on the formation of its citizens. It remains to be seen how these discussions will develop and what solutions the politicians will ultimately find.

For further information and detailed reports on the events in Greifswald and the state education policy in Germany, you can report the reports of , Spiegel and BPB