Education Policy in Siegen: Challenges and Decisions in April 2026

Education Policy in Siegen: Challenges and Decisions in April 2026

Education policy in Siegen has been undergoing significant change in recent years. The city has experienced increasing pressure on its schools, both in terms of capacity and pedagogical orientation. In April 2026, the Committee for Schools and Education engaged intensively with key topics: the care situation in the Open After-School Care (OGS), the allocation of school places at secondary schools, and the development of an integrated school development plan. These issues reflect the current dynamics and urgent challenges of the education system.

Open After-School Care: Care Rates and Human Resources

Open After-School Care (OGS) is a central element of the educational and care landscape in Siegen. In the 2025/2026 school year, 3,804 students attended the city's 17 primary schools. Of these, 1,832 children (50.8%) participated in the OGS. Including other forms of care, the overall care rate rose to 64.7% (2,332 children).

The care rates vary significantly between schools – from 33.5% to 91.1%. The city of Siegen assumes that the legal entitlement to a full-day place for first-grade students can be fulfilled in the upcoming school year. Nevertheless, challenges remain, particularly in higher grade levels.

Personnel in the OGS heavily rely on social educational professionals, supplementary staff, trainees, and students. In total, 19 social educational professionals, 10 supplementary staff, 109 trainees, and 6 students work in OGS groups. Additionally, 52 employees without pedagogical qualifications have been trained and certified.

The Left Party faction requested a written response to questions regarding participation in primary schools, the number of full-day groups, and the staffing situation. This shows that the OGS remains not only a care-related but also a structural issue – especially in terms of long-term financing and the qualification of staff.

School Place Allocation: Criteria, Bottlenecks, and Lottery

The allocation of school places at secondary schools is another central topic. In the enrollment process for the 2026/2027 school year, there were significant bottlenecks at comprehensive schools. The Bertha-von-Suttner Comprehensive School and the Eiserfeld Comprehensive School could not fully utilize their intake capacities, resulting in 52 children being rejected. Approximately 19 of these children were accepted at other comprehensive schools.

The criteria for admission are legally regulated and include hardship cases, siblings, balanced gender and language of origin ratios, and commuting distances. When capacities are exceeded, a lottery system is applied. In comprehensive schools, three lottery pots are created based on average grades to ensure a heterogeneous performance distribution.

The Left Party's inquiry into the practice of school place allocation clearly revealed that transparency and equal opportunities remain central challenges. Four out of seven schools responded to the inquiry, two of which had no selection process because sufficient school places were available. This shows that the situation varies from school to school – depending on whether bottlenecks exist or not.

School Development Planning: External Commissioning and Long-Term Security

Another focus of the April meeting was the commissioning of an external school development plan for the secondary schools in Siegen. The goal is to ensure a balanced, inclusive, and comprehensive educational and graduation offer.

The planning includes student number projections for primary and secondary schools for five years, an analysis of building plans, proposals for space optimization, school visits, and a written report with recommendations. The costs amount to approximately 34,000 €, and the funding will be covered by the amendment to the 2026 budget.

The city of Siegen sees an urgent need for action, especially regarding the shortage of comprehensive school places. School development planning is legally required and aims to ensure transparency, planning security, and the prioritization of school construction projects.

In addition, a proposal was submitted for the establishment of a special office of the mayor for integrated school development planning. The aim is to enforce cooperation between the school administration, the technical building management, the finance office, and other stakeholders. The head of the office should be a person with knowledge of modern school building planning and project management.

Outlook: Education Policy as a Long-Term Investment

The debates in April 2026 show that education policy in Siegen is undergoing an intense transformation process. The challenges in the Open After-School Care, the allocation of school places, and school development planning cannot be viewed in isolation – they are interconnected and require long-term planning and investment.

The commissioning of an external school development plan and the discussion on the establishment of an integrated planning office are landmark decisions that lay the foundation for the next few years. The city of Siegen must ensure that pedagogical quality does not fall into the background – especially given the increasing demands on inclusion, diversity, and digital education.

In the coming months, it will depend on how the results of the school development plan influence concrete educational policy and how the care offers in the Open After-School Care can be strengthened. Education policy is not a short-term measure, but an investment in the future – and in the opportunities of the younger generation in Siegen.