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In Saxony-Anhalt, the number of children with special educational needs continued to rise in the past school year. According to figures from the state government in response to a minor inquiry by the Greens, around 12,400 students fell into this category. Ten years ago, there were just over 10,600 children and young people. The majority of these children are educated in public schools, with 6.4% attending special schools - a level that has remained constant over the past decade.
Nationally comparable figures from the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK) are available up to 2022. In this year, Saxony-Anhalt had the highest proportion of students attending special schools, at 6.4%. The national average was 4.2%. Some states, such as Schleswig-Holstein (2.3%) or Bremen (0.7%), had significantly lower proportions.
Criticism of slow implementation of UN Convention
Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz, the education spokeswoman for the Greens in the state parliament, criticizes the state government for this. The coalition had agreed to invest more resources in inclusive education, but the proportion of special schools remains high. She demands that inclusive education should take precedence over special schools, and that this should be reflected in the school law. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force 15 years ago, obliges contracting states to create an inclusive education system, among other things.
The state government points out that inclusion means more than just mixed classes of students with and without special needs. A high value is placed on permeability between school forms and educational paths, according to the state government's response to the minor inquiry.
The Greens' education spokeswoman, Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz, advocates for a shift in prioritization towards inclusive education in Saxony-Anhalt's school law, citing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a mandate. She believes that the disproportionately high number of students in special schools contradicts the agreement to invest more resources in inclusive education.
Despite the rising number of children with special educational needs in Saxony-Anhalt, the state government emphasizes that inclusion goes beyond just mixed classes and places a high value on permeability between school forms and educational paths.
