With an additional chair per classroom, Education Senator Astrid-Sabine Busse (64, SPD) wants to accommodate refugee children from Ukraine in schools. But that won’t be enough!
“Our house is currently preparing for the fact that we have to take in up to 15,000 children and young people of school age in Berlin schools, have to look after them and have to give them a daily structure,” said Education State Secretary Alexander Slotty (38, SPD).
Nobody wants “that we have thousands of children and young people sitting around in shopping centers in the next few weeks who don’t know what to do with themselves”.
The Ukrainian children will learn German in welcome classes and be prepared for the transition to regular classes. More than 2000 places are already available, says Astrid-Sabine Busse. “The use of other buildings for school purposes is being examined,” says the senator. “So far, family centers and youth leisure facilities have been reported.”
More than 100 Ukrainian teachers have already got in touch, almost half of whom have very good knowledge of German.
But the capital does not just have to worry about additional places in schools: the Senate is now looking after 155 children and young people who arrived in Berlin without their parents. 61 others are being housed privately for the time being.
“We are in the process of significantly increasing capacities and setting up two more facilities,” said State Secretary for Youth Aziz Bozkurt (40, SPD).
Education expert Paul Fresdorf (44, FDP) is concerned that Berlin will be overwhelmed with the 15,000 additional students: “Now the slow pace of school construction and expansion is taking its revenge once again. A school place program must be set up quickly together with the independent sponsors. In the transitional period we have to resort to containers.”
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Left MP Franziska Brychcy (38): “The districts are doing everything that is possible. We are preparing for the fact that the Ukrainian students will stay in Berlin for the long term.”
Because the number of refugees continues to rise: on Wednesday, 5,870 arrived by train and 1,850 by bus.