Overview
- The 21 October ZDF episode focused on Germany’s schools with guests Barbara Mächtle, Engin Çatik, parent representative Katja Rininsland and SPD local official Steffen Burchhardt.
- An ARD survey of nearly 7,000 primary teachers reported 87% see today’s first graders with more deficits than a decade ago, often in behavior, concentration and language.
- Gräfenau head Barbara Mächtle said 447 of 459 pupils at her school have a migration background and called for stronger early‑childhood support and a Kita (preschool) obligation to build language skills.
- Berlin principal Engin Çatik described violence, trauma and language gaps overwhelming staff, linked problems to poverty and migration factors and questioned the absence of compulsory Kita before school entry.
- SPD landrat Steffen Burchhardt warned of 1,000 to 1,500 open teaching posts in his region, and host Markus Lanz noted that more than 60,000 students nationwide now leave school without a diploma.