In front of the Friedrich-Bergius-School in Berlin’s Friedenau district, a police vehicle has been stationed since the latest incident. The reason for this is a recent event: a 12-year-old student from the school’s 7th grade was attacked and beaten by a group of other students, armed with knives, baseball bats, and brass knuckles, as they chased him from the school to a nearby supermarket, threatening to kill him.
Prior to this, a larger group of around 90 students from other schools had clashed with the Bergius School students, requiring a police force of over 100 officers to intervene. The confrontation began with verbal altercations earlier in the week, with the out-of-school group reportedly arriving to “settle the matter.” After a 9th-grader they were looking for was not present, the group targeted the 7th-grader instead.
According to a Berlin police spokesperson, the out-of-school group had arrived to “settle the matter” but the incident escalated into violence. In addition, a threatening letter in Arabic reportedly arrived at the school.
This is not the first time the school has faced such issues. Last year, the teachers’ association wrote a “warning letter” to the school’s senator, detailing the unbearable situation at the school. The school’s student body is comprised of 84% students with a non-German native language, with some classes having no German-speaking students at all.
The teachers’ association described the students as “aggressive, violent, and education-averse” with instances of bullying, intimidation, and violence against teachers. Some students reportedly do not speak German, and a few have never attended school before and are illiterate.
In this case, the aggression did not come from the school’s students, but it highlights the problems many schools face with their students, according to Andreas Thewalt, the school’s parents’ representative.
The “warning letter” from November did not lead to any significant improvements, Thewalt said. Coaching and supervision for teachers have not solved the school’s problems, and the school administration had even requested a security guard at the school entrance.