The number of students in the Kassel district is increasing rapidly: all-day care is planned!

The number of students in the Kassel district is increasing rapidly: all-day care is planned!

The school bells are ringing again: On August 16, 2025, the 2025/2026 school year begins in the Kassel district after the summer holidays. And there is reason to be happy, because the number of students in the district is increasing significantly. Loud HNA An increase of 10% to a total of 23,450 students is expected, compared to 21,315 students last year. A significant increase that is partly due to immigration, particularly refugee mothers from Ukraine.

The comparison with the 2023 school year shows that there were 20,522 students in the classes at that time. In the Kassel district, 2,350 children are enrolled in school – 100 more than in the previous year. What is particularly pleasing is the increase in primary school students at the Erlenhof primary school and the Lucas Lossius School, both of which are setting up two classes this year, whereas they only had one class last year.

Overcrowded classrooms and all-day care

But with the increase in the number of students comes challenges. The shortage of teachers in Hesse is becoming increasingly noticeable: According to the Education and Science Union (GEW), around 10,000 full-time employees are missing. This deficiency could have a direct impact on the quality of education and raises concerns in school operations. In September, the issue of overcrowded classrooms and the shortage of teachers will be discussed in the district council.

Another important topic: Parents of primary school children can look forward to a legal right to full-day care from the next school year. This will be gradually introduced for first graders from August 2026 and expanded to all four grades by 2029. The district is already planning changes to the use of space in order to implement this requirement and to provide parents with better care.

Forecasts and outlook

Looking into the future, the Conference of Ministers of Education predicts that the number of students nationwide will increase by around 758,000 to around 11.8 million by 2035. This makes it clear: the education systems are faced with an enormous task. The Kassel district has recognized the signs of the times and is taking the issue of full-day care very seriously.

It remains exciting to see how the measures will be implemented and how the schools in the Kassel district can respond to the increased number of students. Parents can look forward to the new school year, while the district council must find active solutions to the challenges.

If you would like to find out more about the future development of the school system in our region, stay tuned and follow the latest news!