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Protest school start: Teachers in South Tyrol fight for better conditions
The school year in South Tyrol begins on September 8, 2025, overshadowed by teachers' protests against the collective agreement.
Protest school start: Teachers in South Tyrol fight for better conditions
The new school year for 90,156 children and young people began in South Tyrol on Monday, September 8, 2025. But the hoped-for start of school is overshadowed by a heated dispute between the state government and the teachers, which is putting a strain on the mood in the schools. How South Tyrol News reported that numerous teachers are planning to go on strike, projects and excursions, which calls into question the previous traditional opening services at some elementary and middle schools.
The school system in South Tyrol is special because it is based on teaching in one's own mother tongue, and there are different numbers of students in the different types of schools: 65,010 children are enrolled in German schools, while 22,211 young people attend Italian schools and 2,935 learn in Ladin schools. The unresolved problem surrounding the renewal of the collective agreement will probably be a constant companion throughout this school year.
Wave of protests also in Germany
Particularly in Cologne, where over 3,000 participants were counted by the organizers and 2,000 by the police, the initiative called for, among other things, a “special education fund” of at least 100 billion euros to invest in daycare centers and schools. Across the country, educational institutions are suffering from an increasing shortage of teachers and educators, and hundreds of thousands of daycare places are simply missing.
Avoid disrupting class
But despite all the challenges, it is important that lessons are not disrupted by protests. According to the guidelines of North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education Disruptions to teaching operations, especially during central examinations, should be prevented through the exercise of the school principal's authority. Schools are responsible for ensuring that the focus remains on learning and that students have the opportunity to express their opinions in a safe environment.
The entire picture shows that the education sector in both South Tyrol and Germany is in a deep crisis. The start of school in South Tyrol and the protests in Germany are an expression of frustration and an urgent need for reforms. It becomes clear that everyone involved is required to find solutions to sustainably improve the situation.