07.08.2024
At the start of the 2024/2025 school year, the Senator for Children and Education, Sascha Karolin Aulepp, presented current figures on the development of student numbers, the establishment of new schools and the filling of teaching positions.
Another increase in the number of students
In the city of Bremen, approximately 1,100 more students have enrolled compared to the previous school year. Despite this further increase in student numbers, it has been possible to provide a school place for every child. Since the 2021/2022 school year, over 5,000 new students have been attending schools in Bremen.
This increase accounts for the majority of the overall rise in the state of Bremen. In Bremerhaven, student numbers have stabilized at a high level. The trend of student growth exceeding the national average continues.
School enrollments in Bremen
In the first grade, 273 classes are starting, 58 more than the number of students leaving primary school for secondary school or grammar school. In the fifth grade, 215 classes have started, 30 more than the number leaving lower secondary school.
New school foundations (2024/2025)
The city of Bremen has recorded a total of six new school foundations:
- Primary schools: Dillener Quartier and Neue Schule Gröpelingen
- High schools: Blumenthal, Überseestadt, Schwachhausen and Delmestraße
Successful filling of teaching positions
Education Senator Aulepp: “I am truly proud of how we in Bremen have managed to fill teaching positions, even though, due to the increased number of students, we had 226 more teaching positions to fill than last year. That's around 4,300 full-time equivalent positions. Currently, only 75 positions are vacant – eleven fewer than last school year.”
New ways to recruit teachers
This success is not solely due to the intensive and dedicated work of the education department, but also to Bremen's attractiveness as a place to live and work. "People like to stay here and also like to come here, including those who want to work in our schools," said the senator. New approaches to recruiting teachers, such as the successful Back-to-School program, also contribute to this success. Furthermore, Bremen is training more trainee teachers and is able to retain them after they pass their second state examination.
Targeted central control
Through targeted centralized management, greater relative fairness between better-off and less well-off schools has been achieved. Senator Aulepp commented: "This isn't popular with everyone, because it also means that a school principal won't get all the teachers they would like, and won't be able to keep all their trainee teachers, if the teaching staff situation at other schools is less adequate. But for the schools that benefit from it, this is an important measure. In addition, the number of staffing adjustments – such as temporary assignments – has been quadrupled compared to the previous year."
Class leadership secured
Despite the challenges, all schools were able to start the new school year relatively well. "At every school, a class teacher has been organized for each class, and this is particularly important to me in primary schools. Especially for the youngest children, the class teacher is an important and reliable point of contact, and we have managed to achieve this together with the school principals," said Senator Aulepp. She thanked the schools for their outstanding work. "I wish all students and teachers a wonderful start to the new school year."
Source: Senate Press Office, Senator for Children and Education, Press Release , August 7, 2024