Education for all: Potsdam's children in need - the city is sending a strong signal!

Education for all: Potsdam's children in need - the city is sending a strong signal!

On August 30, 2025, education representative Brigitte Meier and social affairs representative Fischer visited the AWO KINDER(ar)Mut office in Potsdam. During their tour, the two representatives experienced first-hand the challenges families have to overcome in the education sector. The focus was particularly on the situation of children, some of whom go to school hungry. “It's hard to learn on an empty stomach,” said the facility's director, Jörn Mensching, as he addressed the pressing issues of educational injustice. The aim here is to create equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of the circumstances in which they live.

Angela Schweers, the chairwoman of the Potsdamer Arbeiterwohlfahrt, strengthened this appeal. She referred to the numerous offers provided by the AWO, including advice and educational support. During the conversation, volunteer educational support Karin Melzer also reported on the progress of the children who benefit from her work. Melzer used the opportunity to promote more volunteer work so that even more children can be supported.

Educational opportunities for everyone

In order to reduce the challenges for families in need, the city is introducing the education card. This has already been decided by the city council and is seen as an important step in making it easier for children to access educational opportunities. Fischer emphasized the advantages of the education card, which can be used not only for educational opportunities but also for local public transport. This is a groundbreaking decision because transported children can more easily get to sports clubs and music schools that would otherwise not be able to take advantage of these opportunities.

Services from the education package are diverse and aim to give children from financially weaker families equal access to leisure and educational opportunities. This includes both cash and non-cash benefits, such as covering the costs of tutoring sessions or subsidies for sports club fees. The prerequisite is that the family receives citizen's benefit or child allowance and the child is younger than 25 years. This support is provided directly by the city or municipality and represents a decisive step in the right direction. More information can be found on the employment agency website.

Visible progress

How important support is for children in need is also reflected in the specific services included in the education package. Children are entitled to take part in day trips, school lunches and various cultural and sporting activities. For 2025 there is also a fixed amount of 195 euros for personal school supplies, which is updated annually. There are no additional contributions for communal lunches and school transport, which makes it easier for many families to access these options.

But it's not just access to education that is crucial - quality also plays a major role. It is therefore to be hoped that the initiatives, such as the education card and the education package mentioned, will help to create educational equality across generations. The use of volunteers, as Melzer suggested, would be an additional plus to ensure equal opportunities for all children in the system.

Whether through the education card or the education package - our city's decisions and the support from the AWO show that there is a serious effort to make education accessible to all children, regardless of social background. This is an important message that gives hope for greater attention and commitment to the well-being of future generations.