Progress on expanding all-day school infrastructure across Germany is proceeding at a slow pace, according to a recent survey by “Der Spiegel”. Of the €2.75 billion in federal funding pledged under the 2021 All-Day School Financial Assistance Act, approximately one-tenth has been accessed by the individual states.
The average retrieval rate amongst the 13 states responding to the survey stands at 12 percent, with 56 percent of the allocated funds currently earmarked but not yet drawn down.
Significant regional disparities exist. Saxony has accessed the largest portion of funding with 45.7 percent, followed by Baden-Württemberg at 33.6 percent. In contrast, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate have not yet requested any funds, while Berlin has accessed a mere 0.16 percent and Saxony-Anhalt 0.75 percent.
Officials in Rhineland-Palatinate cited lengthy coordination processes within municipalities as a contributing factor to the slow uptake. A spokesperson for the Berlin Senate explained that agreement on funding guidelines was only reached at the end of 2024, meaning applications could only be submitted from 2025 onwards. They further noted that many projects involve substantial construction work requiring extensive preliminary planning and a greater outflow of funds is expected in 2026.
The slow progress comes as the country prepares to implement a legal entitlement to all-day schooling for first-grade students beginning in the summer of 2026, raising concerns about preparedness and timely infrastructure development.