A private primary school in Berlin has been plunged into controversy after it rejected a child because the father is a politician for the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD).
School authorities say they feared admitting the child could have caused “constant conflict” with teachers and other parents. But critics have accused them of “punishing” the child for the parents’ political views.
The child, parents and school have not been named under Germany’s strict child protection laws. But the father is understood to be a member of the regional parliament for Berlin.
The school has been heavily criticised by the Berlin regional government. Sandra Scheeres, the regional education minister and a member of the centre-Left Social Democratic Party (SPD), said she was “extremely critical” of the decision. The regional school board has demanded an explanation.
The school in question follows the Waldorf School philosophy, which rejects traditional teaching methods in favour of more participatory learning. Parents are heavily involved in education and activities under the Waldorf system, and the school said it feared this could create a “constant potential for conflict”.
Teachers at the school reportedly held extensive meetings with the child’s parents, at which they were questioned about their political views.
“We tried to find a consensual solution to the conflict, but were unable,” the director of the school association said.
But critics have questioned whether the school’s decision may be linked to an AfD policy which encourages children to report teachers who criticise the party to its websites.
Though the school is private and fee-paying it is partially funded by government subsidies and comes under the control of the regional school board — a common arrangement in Germany.
German private schools can select their pupils to a limited extent — for instance to balance gender numbers or give priority to those with siblings already at the school — but discrimination is not allowed.
The school in question is forced to select in practice because it is heavily oversubscribed, with 140 applications for just 30 places this year.
But the rejected child was already at the attached kindergarten, which usually makes it easier to get a place at the school.
“We really liked this school,” the child’s father told Berliner Kurier newspaper. “How can we explain to our child that his friends can join the Waldorf school next year but that we are not welcome there?”