Germany Cuts Funding for Anti-Racism School Initiatives

Germany's Anti-Racism School Programs Face Devastating Funding Cuts

A Look Inside Schools Reveals What's Being Lost

To grasp the full impact of the current cuts, it helps to take a closer look at schools—like the one where teacher Felix Bjerke works. At his Cologne-based Genoveva Gymnasium, roughly 90 percent of students have what is known as a migration background. As a history teacher, Bjerke coordinates the "School Without Racism—School With Courage" program and regularly brings workshops to his school. For years, he has collaborated with the organizations 180 Grad Wende (180 Degree Turn) and Transaidency—both of which now find themselves on the chopping block of the federal "Democracy in Action" program, overseen by Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU).

The workshops at Bjerke's school cover a wide range: from anti-racism and extremism prevention (including Islamist radicalization) to combating antisemitism and examining the power of conspiracy theories. "These organizations bring expertise that we as teachers simply can't match in depth," Bjerke explains. They also reach young people in ways schools cannot—"because they don't give grades and come from outside the system."

Alongside 180 Grad Wende and Transaidency, another 200 initiatives and NGOs are set to lose federal funding by the end of the year. Many are partners of the "School Without Racism—School With Courage" network, which includes around 5,000 schools nationwide, confirms Maike Finnern, chair of the Education and Science Workers' Union (GEW). Among them are respected foundations like the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. A number of these projects focus on empowering queer youth or raising awareness of racial and ethnic discrimination.

Funding Cuts Weaken Anti-Right Structures at a Critical Time

For Finnern, the fact that schools are hit particularly hard by these cuts sends the wrong signal: "The consequences are dramatic, especially given the current social climate," she stresses. The funding freeze undermines the very structures "we urgently need right now to fight far-right extremism, discrimination, and to protect democratic values." She adds that schools, already stretched thin by overworked teachers, still require competent partners to tackle these complex challenges.

The cuts even affect projects with multi-year funding commitments—such as the Democracy Festival organized annually by the Cologne Youth Council in collaboration with schools and local groups. The festival deliberately targets neighborhoods with high levels of AfD support. Andrej Braun, managing director of the Youth Council, explains its success: "Young people finally get to bring their own issues to the table—whether it's conscription, social media, or pensions. They're always talked about, but here, they're actually heard and can participate." This, he says, builds trust in democracy. The funding cutoff is "a heavy blow."

Many Defunded Projects Are Based in Eastern Germany

A significant number of the initiatives on the chopping block are located in eastern Germany. While the far-right AfD is poised to win an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt's September elections, the federal government is phasing out democracy-promoting projects like "Mobilizing Democracy in the East," the Pro Aktiv Saale Network, and "Thuringia Together—Bridge-Building in Rural Areas."

For schools in rural regions, free in-school programs are invaluable, emphasizes the deputy principal of a primary and secondary school in Brandenburg's Oderbruch district, who asked to remain anonymous. In many areas, she notes, there are no buses left, no youth clubs, and certainly no cultural offerings. "If schools can't provide these programs either, our children and young people will feel completely overlooked." Nora Oehmichen, federal chair of Teachers for Future, echoes this concern: "For schools that rely on cost-free programs, this decision is nothing short of a disaster." The funding cuts, she argues, are the opposite of what is needed right now.

CDU Fuels Uncertainty Over Neutrality Obligations

A Closer Look at the Content Focus of Affected Project Partners Reveals Even More at Stake

With its cuts, the CDU is deepening uncertainty in schools over teachers' duty of political neutrality—a narrative the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has deliberately stoked. The AfD has long taken aim at democracy-focused initiatives within the "Schools Without Racism" network, frequently submitting parliamentary inquiries in state legislatures. These queries allege that school administrators offering workshops through the "Schools Without Racism – Schools with Courage" program are violating their obligation of neutrality as civil servants.

"At a time when teachers are already grappling with uncertainty over neutrality requirements, fueling the AfD's strategy sends a devastating signal to schools," warns Maike Finnern, head of the GEW teachers' union. Education Minister Karin Prien defended the overhaul in an interview with taz, arguing that the program had developed a reputation for catering to a left-liberal milieu. She insisted the initiative should instead be "broadly anchored in the center of society" and expressed a preference for supporting organizations like the Scouts, youth fire brigades, or rural youth groups.

The uncertainty surrounding political neutrality has grown so pervasive that, according to a study by Weingarten University of Education, teachers now avoid not only politically sensitive topics in civics classes but also controversial issues like climate change in other subjects.

"Politics Must Dispel the Myth of Neutrality"

The AfD has already succeeded in "intimidating teachers to the point that many now hesitate to speak out," observes legal scholar Felix Hanschmann, a professor at Hamburg's Bucerius Law School specializing in the critique of law and democratic constitutionalism. In an interview with CORRECTIV in late February, Hanschmann called on policymakers to take a more assertive stance in debunking the myth of neutrality. While schools must remain nonpartisan, he stressed, they are not value-neutral. Their legal mandate, as defined in education laws, is to foster tolerance, openness to other cultures, environmental responsibility, and awareness of sexual and gender diversity.

To pressure politicians into action, a coalition of organizations has launched a petition titled "Schools Take a Stand." The GEW union, Teachers for Future, Greenpeace, the Federal Student Conference, and the German Association for Civic Education are demanding that authorities empower educators combating discrimination, hatred, and incitement. The petition has already gathered over 253,000 signatures.

Criticism of Education Minister Prien

Among their demands, the initiative urges clear backing from education ministries and school oversight bodies on the neutrality issue. "This list of cuts is the exact opposite of what we need right now," says Nora Oehmichen, federal chair of Teachers for Future. "Minister Prien fails to grasp the impact these budget cuts will have," adds GEW leader Finnern.

Felix Bjerke, a teacher in Cologne, describes how his school tackles numerous challenges while working to strengthen young people's democratic competencies—often in collaboration with groups like "180 Grad Wende." Now, he and many colleagues fear their democratic education efforts are under threat: "If the partners we've built trust with over the years disappear, our work becomes nearly impossible."