Berlin's school trips in danger: Budget shortage causes excitement!

Berlin's school trips in danger: Budget shortage causes excitement!

Berlin's Senator for Education Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) recently commented on the financial means for school trips. At a meeting in the House of Representatives, she promised that a budget for reimbursement of travel costs would be provided in 2025, but she emphasized that this budget will be "finally". This announcement occurred against the background of a budget lock, which would prohibit schools until the end of November to conclude financial contracts for the coming years. This means that numerous planned school trips cannot be organized by this date.

In the past two years, the number of school trips requested and approved has increased significantly due to the pandeme -related travel restrictions in previous years. According to Günther-Wünsch, around 8,500 school trips will be expected for 2024, with costs increasing by 20 percent compared to the previous year. "However, this increase is not evenly distributed to all districts," continued Günther-Lüsch. It is therefore important how the funds are "moderately" and fairly distributed among the different types of school and districts.

budget lock and their effects

The budget for school trips is set for 1.5 million euros for 2024, with an additional 200,000 euros, which were approved in April. The current restrictions by the budget lock also affect the benefits of the educational and participation package (But), which is a decisive support for many families in need. Around a third of the children in Berlin lives in poverty, and for these children the job center pays the costs for school trips.

The situation is complicated: Even if teachers are willing to do without their reimbursement of travel expenses, pupils: inside who receive services after the button, cannot book school trips by November 30th. It remains unclear how many teachers will do for school trips despite these restrictions. The opposition, especially the left, criticized this fact.

Franziska Brychcy, educational spokeswoman for the left-wing parliamentary group, pointed out to an internal letter from the Senate, which indicates that no costs can be covered for multi-day school trips that are booked in the period in question. However, there is a way to submit applications for these trips that are forwarded to the educational management.

"It should not be saved at the wrong end," said Brychcy and described the situation as "educational and social policy madness". Your faction calls for an exception to the budget lock for urgently needed social benefits such as school trips. In another critical comment, Bettina Jarasch from the Greens advocated that money should go better into the support of school trips instead of creating new positions within the administration.

The discussion about the financial means for school trips in Berlin illustrates the challenges that schools and students are in front of: inside, especially in a context in which more and more children live in social hotspots. It remains to be seen whether the promise of the education senator will actually be implemented. For more information on these topics and developments, a comprehensive overview in Article by www.tagesspiegel.de are read.