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Educational chaos in Schleswig-Holstein: representation fund empty and debate escalates!
State parliament debate in Schleswig-Holstein: Education Minister Stenke is under pressure because of the empty representation fund and canceled classes.
Educational chaos in Schleswig-Holstein: representation fund empty and debate escalates!
Today, July 23, 2025, the last state parliament session before the summer break took place in Schleswig-Holstein in unpleasant rainy weather. While water dripped from the ceiling in the state parliament canteen, the government led by Education Minister Dorit Stenke (CDU) came into the focus of the opposition, which further increased the pressure on education policy issues. How NDR reports, the minister was questioned particularly critically after the ministry announced that the teacher replacement fund was empty, which was due to high levels of illness in schools.
The current figures are alarming: in 10 out of 15 districts and independent cities, the representation fund has already been exhausted. This fund totaled 8.4 million euros nationwide, including money for high schools. Cities such as Kiel, Lübeck and Neumünster as well as the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde and Plön are severely affected. Many schools are faced with the fact that they cannot hire substitute teachers, which means that every ninth lesson in the north cannot take place as planned; at vocational schools this even affects every seventh lesson. SPD education politician Martin Habersaat described the situation as a warning sign and called for more transparency and effective use of funds News4teachers reported.
Improvement in sight?
Despite the unfortunate situation, Education Minister Stenke announced that she would increase the fund. Four million euros are to be made available from other pots in order to better manage the coming school year. The ministry admits that the controlling did not work sufficiently and the situation was not recognized early on. This was sharply criticized by the opposition, who felt ignored by the minister's announcements. FDP parliamentary group leader Christopher Vogt expressed his concerns about inclusion and the shortage of teachers, which are putting additional strain on schools.
Stenke described the situation as “very, very annoying” and is therefore not only faced with the challenge of clearing up the financial situation, but also of regaining the trust of schools and parents. While the debate about education policy continues to rage, one thing is clear: there is a lot to be done to ensure the quality of teaching in the country.