https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed From Munich to Berlin, nine German universities and one consortium have been confirmed as 'Universities of Excellence'. Here’s what the title means – and what makes each institution stand out. https://www.thelocal.de/20260312/revealed-germanys-universities-of-excellence-for-science-and-research Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:39:37 +0100 revealed-germanys-universities-of-excellence-for-science-and-research German regulations around school attendance for children are notoriously strict. Here's what parents need to know about when children can miss school – and when they can't. https://www.thelocal.de/20250902/schulpflicht-what-parents-need-to-know-about-kids-missing-school-in-germany Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:41:11 +0200 schulpflicht-what-parents-need-to-know-about-kids-missing-school-in-germany By the end of February, Saxony will become the latest German state to introduce a ban on smartphones in schools. Here are the current rules on phone use in school across the federal states, and a look at how well they're working. https://www.thelocal.de/20260202/where-are-smartphones-banned-in-primary-schools-in-germany Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:36:20 +0100 where-are-smartphones-banned-in-primary-schools-in-germany Student participation, called 'Mitarbeit', makes up a large portion of students' grades in German schools. But the way it's assessed can be poison in the classroom, particularly for foreign pupils, writes Tom Pugh. https://www.thelocal.de/20250702/opinion-german-school-grading-is-unfair-on-foreign-students-and-its-maddening Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:30:24 +0200 opinion-german-school-grading-is-unfair-on-foreign-students-and-its-maddening Childcare costs in Germany depend on a patchwork of subsidies and exceptions, with some parents paying nothing for full-day care while others pay hundreds of euros per month. Here's what you can expect to pay depending on the state you live in. https://www.thelocal.de/20251216/what-parents-can-expect-to-pay-for-daycare-in-all-16-german-states Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:08:28 +0100 what-parents-can-expect-to-pay-for-daycare-in-all-16-german-states On Tuesday, warning strikes began at university hospitals and public sector institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia and Leipzig – with further actions expected in multiple German states this week. https://www.thelocal.de/20260113/where-hospital-and-public-service-strikes-are-impacting-germany-this-week Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:35:44 +0100 where-hospital-and-public-service-strikes-are-impacting-germany-this-week Following a long period of disagreements over funding, the federal government and German states finally agreed on plans last week for a new ‘Digital Pact 2.0’, with a number of eye-catching measures designed to cut bureaucracy. https://www.thelocal.de/20251222/government-confirms-plans-to-invest-five-billion-euros-in-digital-education Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:09:58 +0100 government-confirms-plans-to-invest-five-billion-euros-in-digital-education Nearly two out of every three German school administrators say their schools are in urgent need of renovation, according to a new survey. https://www.thelocal.de/20251210/administrators-warn-german-schools-are-in-urgent-need-of-renovation Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:50:00 +0100 administrators-warn-german-schools-are-in-urgent-need-of-renovation If you’re coming to Germany from outside the European Union to study or look for work, you’ll need to prove you have enough money to support yourself during your stay. A common way to do this is by opening a blocked account, or 'Sperrkonto'. https://www.thelocal.de/20250828/sperrkonto-what-is-a-blocked-account-who-needs-one-to-come-to-germany Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:10:16 +0200 sperrkonto-what-is-a-blocked-account-who-needs-one-to-come-to-germany Sofia Corradi, the creator of the EU's Erasmus program which has sent millions of young people abroad throughout Europe to study, died in Rome aged 91, Italian media reported Saturday. https://www.thelocal.de/20251019/europes-erasmus-founder-sofia-corradi-dies-aged-91 Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:55:22 +0200 europes-erasmus-founder-sofia-corradi-dies-aged-91 When foreign parents send their children to German primary schools, they often come back with a whole new vocabulary of playground slang. Here's our guide to the main terms to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20250829/the-schoolyard-terms-you-need-to-understand-your-german-speaking-kids Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:21:43 +0200 the-schoolyard-terms-you-need-to-understand-your-german-speaking-kids The German school system can often present a bit of a culture shock - both good and bad - for recent arrivals. Here are some tips from parents who know what they're talking about. https://www.thelocal.de/20250926/tips-from-parents-for-surviving-the-german-school-system Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:20:29 +0200 tips-from-parents-for-surviving-the-german-school-system Newcomers to Germany who have children can be pleasantly surprised by the level of support they receive. But for every silver lining there's also a cloud, writes Tom Pugh, who explains the pros and cons of parenting in the country. https://www.thelocal.de/20250616/the-things-they-dont-tell-you-about-raising-kids-in-germany Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:40:30 +0200 the-things-they-dont-tell-you-about-raising-kids-in-germany As the new school year gets under way, we asked our readers with kids in German schools to share their views on the good, the bad, and the surprising aspects of the country's education system. https://www.thelocal.de/20250825/super-relaxed-what-foreign-parents-really-think-of-schools-in-germany Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:12:37 +0200 super-relaxed-what-foreign-parents-really-think-of-schools-in-germany Germany produces a lot of STEM graduates and attracts a large number of foreign students, but inequality in educational outcomes is growing according to a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). https://www.thelocal.de/20250910/too-many-without-qualifications-german-education-system-sees-widening-inequality Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:45:15 +0200 too-many-without-qualifications-german-education-system-sees-widening-inequality There are different rules for how long pupils in Germany must attend school depending on the state they live. Things are changing in North Rhine-Westphalia as it extends compulsory 'Gymnasium' schooling by one year. https://www.thelocal.de/20250819/why-germanys-most-populous-state-is-bringing-back-nine-years-of-school Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:13:43 +0200 why-germanys-most-populous-state-is-bringing-back-nine-years-of-school In the German state of Baden-Württemberg well over a thousand education positions went unfilled for years due to a glitch in a computer programme, officials say. https://www.thelocal.de/20250717/how-thousands-of-teaching-positions-in-a-german-state-were-lost-to-administrative-error Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:29:57 +0200 how-thousands-of-teaching-positions-in-a-german-state-were-lost-to-administrative-error Germany is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers across a wide range of industries. The problem is only getting worse, according to the latest figures from the German Economic Institute. https://www.thelocal.de/20250714/germanys-skilled-labour-shortage-intensifies-across-industries Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:59:56 +0200 germanys-skilled-labour-shortage-intensifies-across-industries As students increasingly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, some German schools are embracing the new technology in the classroom. https://www.thelocal.de/20250708/explained-how-german-schools-are-including-more-and-more-ai Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:34:39 +0200 explained-how-german-schools-are-including-more-and-more-ai Germany’s Education Minister sparked a heated debate when she expressed openness to the idea of introducing limits for the number of children with a migrant background in school classes. https://www.thelocal.de/20250707/backlash-after-german-minister-suggests-cap-on-immigrant-students-in-schools Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:00:02 +0200 backlash-after-german-minister-suggests-cap-on-immigrant-students-in-schools