Fight for education: Gew calls for three days of school in Berlin!

Fight for education: Gew calls for three days of school in Berlin!

Berlin, Deutschland - The Union Education and Science (GEW) called for a three -day warning strike at Berlin schools, which will take place from May 13th to 15th, 2025. Employees, educators, social educators and school psychologists at all -day schools are affected. The union calls for a collective bargaining agreement that includes smaller classes and relief for the employees. In this context, GEW chairman Gökhan Akgün emphasizes the high workload of the school employees in Berlin.

Educational Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch is critical of the announced strike. It criticizes that the strike takes place during the central examination phase, especially for the Abitur and the middle school leaving certificate (MSA). Their concerns apply to the sense of responsibility of the GEW, which endangers teaching care in this important phase. Nevertheless, the education administration adheres to the implementation of the exams, even if teaching restrictions may occur.

support and concerns

The State Student Committee supports the demand for smaller classes, but has also expressed concerns about the strike date. At the same time, the State Parental Committee criticized the planned suspension of the lesson, but supports the goals of the GEW and suggests a day of action on a weekend. This discussion shows the different perspectives of those involved, since the number of employees in Berlin has decreased in recent years - from around 23,000 in the school year 2021/22 to just 18,000. One of the causes of this is the civil servant of many teachers, which means that fewer teachers will be involved in the strike, since civil servants are not allowed to go on strike.

The GEW has been calling for a collective agreement for years to improve working conditions for teachers. These demands are strongly related to the lack of personnel that affects the schools in Berlin and other federal states. In this context, the Senate points out that, due to membership in the collective bargaining community of German countries (TDL), it cannot negotiate on collective agreements. These structural problems often lead to inadequate protection and support for the employees in schools.

actions and other reactions

As early as April 30, the GEW called up at a three -day strip, which continues to burden the situation in schools. Parents in Berlin therefore have to expect possible restrictions in the classroom, while the GEW and the education administration also discuss improvements in schools. Education Senator Günther-Lüsch has emphasized that the Senate is working on better framework conditions for teachers, for example to defuse the situation through administrative lines at schools and IT support.

This warning strike is a reaction to the uncertain situation in education policy, which not only affects the teachers, but also directly affects the students and their families. The coming days will show what effects the strike will have on the exams and school operations, and whether there may be an agreement between the GEW and the Senate.

The topic is not new. In November last year, a nationwide warning strike from the public service took place, in which around 6,000 employees took part in Berlin, including educators and teachers. The then strike drew attention to the grievances in the education sector and was considered necessary by the unions to enforce salary increases and better working conditions. The situation remains tense and requires further attention from those responsible.