Suche
Mein Konto
Voluntary parental contributions: Diocese of Trier secures schools for the future!
From the 2026/2027 school year, the Diocese of Trier will introduce voluntary parental contributions at selected schools in order to ensure high-quality education.
Voluntary parental contributions: Diocese of Trier secures schools for the future!
From the coming school year 2026/2027, the Diocese of Trier will introduce voluntary parental contributions at 15 of a total of 20 schools. The reason for this measure is the declining church tax revenue, such as domradio.de reported. In doing so, the diocese would like to maintain a high-quality, Christian-influenced educational offering. In the region that extends across Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, schools are currently fee-free.
The monthly contributions vary depending on the type of school. Loud zeit.de The recommended graduation provides for the following amounts:
- Grundschulen: 48 Euro
- Realschulen Plus (Rheinland-Pfalz), Gemeinschaftsschulen, Realschulen (Saarland): 57 Euro
- Gesamtschulen (Rheinland-Pfalz), Gymnasien (Rheinland-Pfalz und Saarland): 67 Euro
Exceptions and individual solutions
Vocational schools and special needs schools are excluded from the new regulation. The Episcopal Secondary School in Boppard, which is scheduled to close in a few years, will also remain unaffected by the contributions. The diocese is currently examining a possible staggering of contributions based on the number of siblings or household income. It is important that admission to the schools concerned is not tied to the payment of contributions.
Financial backgrounds
The diocese of Trier spends around 20 million euros on its schools every year. Due to the shrinking revenue from church tax, the diocese is in the process of securing its budget, which makes financial optimization necessary. The decision to introduce voluntary contributions is a response to this financial challenge.
Although the diocese of Trier is the oldest in Germany, it extends over a generous 12,870 square kilometers and is home to around 2.5 million people. Of these, around 1.1 million are Catholic. These financial stability measures could, in the long term, help preserve and expand the Christian educational heritage in the region.
Parents have already been informed of these changes by letter. A good hand in financial planning will be required in the coming months - because the education of future generations also includes the responsibility to pass on the values of our society.