More children start school in Schleswig-Holstein
Around 28,500 children have started school in Schleswig-Holstein in the current school year. According to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden on Monday, the number rose by 2.3 percent compared to the previous year.
Nationwide, around 830,600 children started school, the highest number for 20 years. The number rose by 2.1 percent compared to the previous year. This was due to higher birth rates and increased immigration, particularly from Ukraine.
The authority registered the increase in almost all federal states, with the highest increases in Baden-Württemberg and Saarland (plus 6.9 percent). The number of pupils had already risen sharply in the previous school year and was now even higher. According to the data, the last time more children started school was in the 2003/2004 school year.
According to the Federal Office, 51.2 percent of children starting school in 2023 were boys and 48.8 percent were girls. The majority of children (93.5 percent) began their school career at an elementary school. 3.1 percent were enrolled at special schools, 2.5 percent at integrated comprehensive schools and 0.9 percent at Waldorf schools.
As a background to the increase in the number of children enrolled in school, the Federal Office explained that there were 4.2 percent more five to seven-year-olds living in Germany at the end of 2022 compared to the previous year. The increase was 1.3 percent for children with German citizenship and 21.3 percent for those with foreign citizenship - the majority of whom come from Ukraine. The exact proportion of Ukrainian children among those enrolled in school could not be quantified.
In Schleswig-Holstein, schools are seeing an increase in enrollment with approximately 28,500 children starting this school year, according to statistics from the Federal Statistical Office. Nationwide, the number of children starting school at various institutions has reached its highest level in 20 years, with over 830,600 children enrolled, showing a significant increase in both birth rates and immigration, particularly from Ukraine.
Source: www.dpa.com
