Tuition Fees at Private Schools in Berlin
The education sector in each German federal state is regulated by its own legislation, based on the federal Act on General Education and Instruction (ABI). This law defines development strategies, curricula, and the structure of the educational process, ensuring the constitutional right to education for all citizens and establishing quality standards.
In addition to public institutions, more than 2,500 private educational establishments operate in Germany. They are managed by private entities but receive financial support in the form of state subsidies. These institutions are required to follow educational programs comparable to those applied in public schools.
In Berlin, 170 private educational institutions operate on a permanent basis, serving more than 40,000 students. Additionally, the capital has 48 vocational schools with approximately 14,000 learners. Overall, around 12 percent of all students in Berlin attend non-state institutions.
The Senate of the State of Berlin previously decided to introduce amendments to the Berlin School Act, which regulates compulsory schooling. These changes particularly concern the operation and financial support of private educational institutions, including funding mechanisms partly based on tuition fees. However, consideration of the matter within the Senate Department for Finance had been postponed several times.
An agreement has now been reached on introducing a unified system of parental tuition fees for private schools. According to the approved scale, the maximum monthly contribution for families with an annual income between 55,000 and 73,000 euros will amount to 290 euros. The contributions will range from a symbolic 10 euros for low-income families up to 290 euros for households approaching the upper income limit, with intermediate levels set at 35, 65, and 160 euros.
At the same time, some experts in the field of school education believe that private institutions may become less accessible to children from low-income families, as commercial considerations can sometimes take precedence over educational development goals.
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