The founder of Germany’s leading children’s aid organization, “Die Arche” Bernd Siggelkow, is issuing a stark warning about the escalating crisis in the nation’s education system and calling for mandatory vocational training for young people. In an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau, Siggelkow expressed grave concerns about the increasing number of adolescents leaving school without qualifications, stating that without intervention, these individuals are at high risk of entering a cycle of disadvantage and marginalization.
Siggelkow characterized the current state of German schools as “disastrous” emphasizing that the education system represents “the most pressing problem we have”. His organization, which supports over 11,000 children and adolescents, is facing a significant increase in operational costs, requiring €25 million this year – a substantial rise over previous years. He anticipates these costs will further escalate to €29 million next year, reflecting the increasingly complex needs of the young people they serve, who often display “remarkably creative behavioral patterns” requiring intensive support.
Critically, Siggelkow pointed to a self-perpetuating cycle of segregation driven by parental choices. He argues that the creation of “hotspot schools” – schools with a disproportionately high number of students from migrant backgrounds – is actively fostered by wealthier families opting for private schooling. This exodus, he contends, exacerbates the existing disparities and creates a downward spiral for disadvantaged families.
“As a society, we are creating these hotspot schools ourselves” Siggelkow declared, proposing a radical shift in policy. He advocates for more equitable distribution of students with varying levels of German proficiency and those with refugee experiences, arguing against concentrated populations within individual classrooms. This, he believes, necessitates implementing novel solutions, including financial incentives (potentially through bus services), reduced class sizes and the integration of multidisciplinary teams of educators and support staff.
While acknowledging the challenges of such a undertaking, Siggelkow’s call for mandatory vocational training and a reimagining of resource allocation underscores a growing anxiety within Germany regarding social mobility and the potential for widening inequalities. The long-term consequences of neglecting these vulnerable young people, he implicitly warns, extend far beyond individual hardship and threaten the fabric of German society.