school - About 2400 younger elementary school students repeat a class
In public Berlin schools, around 2400 Children in Grades 1 to 3 have repeated a class during the current school year. This corresponds to 7.6 percent of the students according to the education administration. The percentage has been decreasing for some years, it was still 10.5 percent in 2019. These children are not considered as retainees. In Berlin, there is the so-called flexible school starting phase. It takes into account that every child has an individual learning pace. The repeating of a class is called "Flexible Retention".
From Grade Four up to the upper level, a total of 1540 Children and Adolescents in Berlin public schools have repeated a School Year. This corresponds to a quote of 0.5 percent. This has been relatively constant in the past years.
Flexible School Starting Phase
In Berlin, the Elementschool caters to children in Grades 1 to 6, following the flexible school starting phase that acknowledges each child's unique learning pace. The education administration in Berlin reports that around 2400 Children in these grades have repeated a class during the current school year, a proportion that has been decreasing since 2019.
The concept of "Flexible Retention" is employed in Berlin's public schools when a child in any grade repeats a class, as part of the comprehensive education system. This practice is not limited to Elementschool but extends up to the upper levels of the school system.
Beginning their education journey in Elementschool, Berlin children have the opportunity to progress at their own pace, thanks to the flexible school starting phase that minimizes the need for repeating entire school years.
