Overview
- Fresh Stern and RTL investigations prompted state-level politicians to decry right‑wing pressure in schools and to demand clearer backing for democracy education.
- In Saxony‑Anhalt, an AfD motion to impose strict teacher “neutrality” rules and block politically themed school names drew sharp criticism and was rejected.
- The GEW teachers’ union and professor Rita Nikolai warned that the neutrality narrative chills political education, misuses the Beutelsbacher Konsens and pushes teachers toward self‑censorship.
- AfD education spokesman Hans‑Thomas Tillschneider characterized the party’s approach as a culture war and said teachers who challenge “legitimate right‑wing opinions” could face discipline.
- Officials cited intimidation tactics and data gaps, noting complaint portals and smear campaigns, a record 185 right‑wing offenses at Saxon schools last year, and calls for unified reporting, legal protections, training and sustained funding.