Uckermark: District Administrator demands compensation for school social work!

Uckermark: District Administrator demands compensation for school social work!

In the district of Uckermark, there is movement in school social work. A new decision causes excitement, since the transfer of school social work to the district has been in force since August 1, 2024, according to the Brandenburg Children's and Youth Act (BBGKJG). But the problem: the financial compensation for the additional burdens that are associated with it is missing. This is reported by the Nordkurier

The district administrator of the district of Uckermark, Karina Dörk (CDU), therefore plans to get the approval of the district council for a class action. The district of Dahme-Spreewald is currently examining the legal framework on this topic and has already offered support from other counties and independent cities. Reference is made to the principle of connexuality that actually provides for a financial compensation for the municipalities.

Goals of the Brandenburg Children's and Youth Act

The BBGKJG, which was adopted by the Brandenburg state parliament on June 19, 2024, aims to bundle essential legal regulations on child and youth welfare in Brandenburg. The unsuitable, previous law, the AGKJHG, was replaced by this comprehensive set of rules, which also provides for many improvements for child and youth participation. Children and adolescents now have a legally anchored say if their interests are affected, which should ensure a fairer participation. The positions of the state children and youth officers have now been officially laid down. The Brandenburg specialist portal explains the background and the importance of these reforms.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in the State of Brandenburg emphasizes that 589 of 737 public schools in Brandenburg today offer school social work. This represents a positive development compared to the 2019 surveys. There were only about 62% of primary schools and 29% of high schools with appropriate offers. Now 74% of primary schools and 70% of high schools are part of the program, which shows how high the commitment of the counties and municipalities is now. A Current report emphasizes the importance of these offers for equal opportunities and the individual development of the pupils: Inside.

prospects and next steps

The district public meeting in the Uckermark, where the potential class action lawsuit is to be discussed, will take place on June 25, 2025 at 2 p.m. in the Prenzlauer plenary hall of the district administration. Here it will be shown whether the representatives: inside the district administrator's district council will be backed in order to tackle the financial challenges associated with school social work.

It remains to be seen whether the participation in the collective suit brings the desired success and whether the financial means will soon be available that are essential for effective school social work. However, one thing is clear: the school social work has proven to be indispensable - and the development of recent years shows that it should become an integral part of every school in Brandenburg.