Art and music in crisis: Brandenburg's schools are calling for more money!

Art and music in crisis: Brandenburg's schools are calling for more money!

In Brandenburg, the music and art schools are sounding the alarm: the need for financial support is becoming increasingly urgent. According to Meetingpoint Potsdam, 36 schools with a public educational mandate are responsible for around 50,000 students. Demonstrators are demanding a substantial increase in state funding, as current funding is already considered precarious.

Since the first music school law came into force in 1999, the aim of the funding is that one third should come from the state, one third from the local school authorities and one third from parents and families. However, school authorities and parents currently cover almost 90% of the costs, while the state only contributes 10%. This represents a drastic deviation from the original objectives.

Insufficient increase in state funding

The last increase in state funding took place seven years ago, and the planned increase of 500,000 euros in 2025 is considered inadequate because it does not even compensate for the inflation rate. This financial misery is further exacerbated by the additional costs of over 3 million euros that the school authorities have already borne as a result of the Herrenberg ruling. The ruling led to the permanent employment of freelance workers in order to improve their social security. However, despite this positive measure, fears of reduced tuition and even the closure of schools are increasing.

The rising tuition fees and the migration of teachers to general education schools pose serious threats to the quality of the educational offerings at music and art schools in Brandenburg. According to NDR, there is now pressure on these institutions, which must continue to compete for trained teachers.

Challenges for teachers

Although teachers at music and art schools have university education, they receive low pay, four grades below general standards. This leads to migration and endangers the quality of education. Gerrit Große, chairman of the VdMK, warns of the social consequences of inadequate state funding and the challenge of reaching children and young people from poor backgrounds. Strong support from the state is necessary to make teaching accessible to everyone.

In addition, the federal government has reached a legislative initiative to ensure the independence of teachers and self-employed people in the cultural sector in order to create a legal framework and guarantee social security. This initiative was launched in response to the challenges posed by the Herrenberg ruling, which classified many freelance workers as bogusly self-employed. According to Piano, a petition is also called for to clarify the fee status of self-employed teachers.

A clear analysis and response to the problems caused by financial insecurity and the feeling of insecurity in the cultural sector seems to be essential for the healthy development of music and art schools in Brandenburg.