Every morning to Berlin-Charlottenburg: Berlin’s school place allocation leads to long journeys – Berlin

The number actually sounds pretty good: Almost 90 percent of all primary school students who will attend a secondary school in the coming school year 2021/2022 have been given a place at one of their three “dream schools”. In reality, however, this means: 2600 children will go to a school next year that their parents and they did not choose – which often means long journeys to school.

The situation in Lichtenberg is particularly bad: According to an estimate by school councilor Martin Schaefer (CDU), 400 children are affected here – some of them did not even end up at the desired school type.

A father wrote to the Tagesspiegel that his Lichtenberg child – grade average 1.5 – had been assigned to a grammar school in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Travel time: at least 55 minutes.

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The district and state parents’ representatives are now calling for a change in the month-long allocation process towards a “transparent and quick school place allocation process with openly visible school place offers”, with a digital exchange platform and a focus on proximity to home – either by adapting the allocation process or by creating more school places.

The districts are actually responsible for planning school places. School Councilor Schaefer sees the responsibility with the Senate. In an open letter to school senator Sandra Scheeres (SPD), Schaefer joined the demands of the parents’ committees at the weekend and called for more speed in building schools and more design options for the districts when allocating space.

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