Germany: New Admissions Record First-Time Decrease in 15 Years
According to Destatis, the Federal Statistical Office, the number of students has dropped by one per cent, which accounts for 30,400 fewer students. This is the first time since the winter semester of 2007/2008 for these numbers to experience a decrease after decades of continuous growth when 1.9 million students were enrolled in German higher education institutions, AtoZSerwisPlus.de reports.
In response to the situation, the German Students Union (DSW) issued a press release, saying that students are in the most difficult social situation in decades.
“We must not only look at the number of first-year students, we must also enable young people to successfully complete their studies. The students are in the most difficult social situation in decades. Many students are up to their necks in water this winter semester. Their budget is often sewn to the brim – and now they don’t know how to pay the rising prices for gas, electricity and groceries,” Matthias Anbuhl, DSW’s General Secretary explained.
He also pointed out that German society cannot afford to have college dropouts due to a lack of funds and that a financial package is necessary for students in the country, in addition to modern courses and excellent teaching experiences.
Anbuhl also urged for a “BAföG that secures a living” which also could be a factor to establish the changed study realities, social infrastructures and solid psychosocial support.
The demographic decline is also affecting the number of university students in Germany, while the country is also dealing with an absence of skilled workers in the labour market. There is a shortage in many sectors, with the most notable ones being engineering, medicine and education. As Anbuhl highlighted, this shortage of skilled workers might deepen even further in the future.
AtoZSerwisPlus.com previously reported that Germany’s due to the ageing population, the number of skilled workers in the country is decreasing, which puts the labour market at risk.
In response to the situation, the German government is focusing on target migration and importing qualified workers from third countries. Almost 1.9 million workers came to Germany to find work and the vast majority of those come from the EU member states – Poland, Italy and Romania, and merely 300,000 from third countries, with India and Balkan countries being the main sources.
