"You Can't Even Imagine This": Teacher Describes Chaos in German School

Carola S., a teacher at a German school who works with children with learning and developmental difficulties, has told Bild about the chaos engulfing her workplace. According to her, police are called to the school several times a week, while fights, shouting and drug dealing have become everyday occurrences.

One particularly shocking case involved a 15-year-old student engaging in prostitution in the school toilets to pay for drugs. The girl eventually became pregnant and left the school.

The teacher's account is backed up by official police statistics: according to German police data, 28,760 violent incidents were recorded in German schools in 2024, and the trend continues to rise. Figures for 2025 have not yet been published.

Migrants and the Language Barrier

At the school where Carola S. works, 75% of students have a migrant background — most coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. According to the teacher, many of these children suffer from learning disabilities and anxiety disorders or display aggressive behaviour.

"Students go without grades for two years because almost none of them speak German. After that they start being graded regularly, but most results are extremely poor. Many simply stop attending school altogether. This year, almost 40% failed to finish secondary school," the teacher said.

Cultural differences create further complications. In one instance, the father of a Syrian student refused to let his son be taught by a woman. "It's very hard to get through to parents like that," Carola noted.

Attacks on Teachers Have Become the Norm

According to police statistics, 1,283 teachers were victims of assault in Germany in 2024, alongside 557 serious violent crimes. The real number of incidents is believed to be even higher, since not all cases are officially reported.

Carola S. herself has also been a victim of violence. "Three weeks ago I tried to separate two students who were fighting and ended up with a split lip — one of the pupils hit me in the face," she said. She filed a complaint, but nothing came of it.

"This isn't an isolated case. Some of my colleagues get threatened and insulted after class. Many say they won't be able to stay in this profession until retirement. Our sick-leave rates are extremely high," the teacher added.

She says school administrators are fully aware of the problems but do nothing about them. "No one from the administration ever even shows up. We're left to deal with it ourselves. And then politicians come along wanting to close secondary schools. So what are we supposed to do with these young people then?" Carola asks.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz