Progress on expanding all-day school infrastructure across Germany is reportedly lagging behind schedule, with a significant portion of allocated federal funding remaining untapped. According to a recent survey conducted by “Der Spiegel”, of the €2.75 billion pledged through the 2021 All-Day School Financial Assistance Act, only slightly over one-tenth has been drawn down by individual federal states.
The average retrieval rate among the 13 states that responded to the inquiry stands at 12 percent, with 56 percent of the funds currently earmarked for future use.
Significant discrepancies exist between states. Saxony has utilized the largest portion of the available funds, accessing 45.7 percent, followed by Baden-Württemberg at 33.6 percent. In contrast, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate have yet to draw any funds, while Berlin has accessed only 0.16 percent and Saxony-Anhalt a mere 0.75 percent.
Authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate cite the time-consuming process of coordinating with municipalities as a contributing factor to the slow uptake. A spokesperson for the Berlin Senate explained that agreement on funding guidelines was only reached at the end of 2024, meaning applications could only be submitted from 2025 onwards. They also emphasized that many projects involve construction investments, necessitating “extensive preliminary planning”. A noticeable increase in fund disbursement is therefore anticipated in 2026.
The slow progress is occurring against the backdrop of an impending legal entitlement to all-day care for all first-grade students, set to take effect in the summer of 2026.
