The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family of Berlin (Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend undFamilie, SenBJF) and the Berlin Education and Science Union (Gewerkschaft Erziehung undWissenschaft, GEW Berlin) have concluded a partnership agreement on measures to reduce the excessive workload of teachers and educators in schools operating in a “full-day” format. The jointly developed and agreed package of measures in this regard is planned to be implemented in phases, starting in the 2026/2027 school year.

It is significant that the mentioned agreement is the real result of many years of difficult negotiations between SenBJF and GEW Berlin, based on a joint initiative to find practical solutions to problems in Berlin schools. And there are many. One of the most serious is the staffing crisis. It is caused by the great responsibility and constant nervous strain on school teachers and educators, the necessity to teach under clear shortages of pedagogical staff, and the disproportion between the volume of work performed and the salary received.      

For teachers, this agreement provides for the following changes:

-   Reduction of workload for older teachers. Starting with the new school year teachers who have reached the age of 63 will be granted an additional hour to “reduce workload”. 

-   Increased support for teachers at the early stage of pupils' education through the creation of new “dual-purpose” positions (or “double posts”) and the reduction of group sizes for schools “in difficult circumstances”. These may include: schools in administrative districts located in adverse social or resource conditions, institutions with a large number of pupils with special needs, schools in remote areas, etc.

-   Emphasis on the digitalization of education. During the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 school years an additional school day will be allocated dedicated to developing digital competencies in schools. 

-   Time for individual work with primary school pupils. Primary schools will have one day free of lessons to hold individual meetings with pupils on issues of their development. 

-   Increase in time for working with classes in primary school. Primary school teachers and those at the elementary level will receive more time to fulfil their duties as class teachers. 

-   Guarantee of stability and development of teaching teams. A joint agreement will be concluded aimed at the long-term provision of schools with multi‑profile teaching teams that go beyond the standard staffing schedule.

For full‑time educator‑staff, the agreement reached means among other: 

-   additional investments to improve their working conditions and the quality of premises in school institutions operating in full‑day mode;  

-   more active involvement of coordinator‑educators in the professional decision‑making of the teaching staff; 

-   for a clearer reflection of the educational mission in the “full working day” system, the system “Ergänzende Förderung und Betreuung, eFöB” is to be renamed to “Bildung, Erziehung und Betreuung, BEB” (changing the name from “Additional Assistance and Support” to “Education, Upbringing and Support”); 

-   the development of a common protocol for emergencies and staff substitution in the “full‑day” sector. 

With regard to the consensus reached between SenBJF and GEW Berlin the Berlin Senator for Education, Youth and Family, Katharina Günther‑Wünsch (Katharina Günther-Wünsch, Senatorin fürBildung, Jugend und Familie) noted:

«“This agreement serves as an unequivocal confirmation that education remains a top priority for the Berlin Senate, even under conditions of limited financial resources. Despite current budgetary difficulties, we are making targeted investments in concrete initiatives aimed at easing the burden on teaching staff and childcare workers …”

The full implementation of the agreed measures will require additional financial resources totaling around EUR 32 million, as well as the missing staffing resource of approximately 300 positions.