Striking in exam season: Berlin teachers walk out for three days
Tuesday, 13 May
Thousands of teachers, educators and social workers at Berlin schools have begun a three-day warning strike, called by the GEW education union. Their main demand? Smaller class sizes and a long-requested collective agreement on health protection.
The Berlin Senate has so far refused to negotiate, citing its obligations as part of a national wage agreement between Germany’s states. That hasn’t stopped the GEW, which argues that the pressure on staff is unsustainable. “The workload is too high,” said GEW state chair Gökhan Akgün.
As usual, civil servants (who now make up the majority of teachers) are not permitted to strike, meaning that widespread cancellations are unlikely. But the walkout still hits a sensitive spot: exams. This week includes French Abitur tests and the maths component of the MSA (intermediate school-leaving exams).
That timing has drawn criticism – not only from Berlin’s education senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU), who called it “irresponsible”, but also from students. The city’s student council backed the union’s core demands but said the strike date lacked consideration. “We’d like to see more awareness for students,” said chair Orcun Ilter.
The GEW defended its decision. “Each school with exams is only affected on one day,” said Berlin GEW co-lead Martina Regulin.
Parents are also caught in the middle. The citywide parent council supported the union’s aims but said it would prefer a protest that families could take part in – perhaps on a weekend.
In the meantime, the city’s education ministry says all exams will go ahead, though there may be disruptions to regular classes.
