Starting next school year, students in a Niedersachsen school will have the opportunity to choose Low German (Niederdeutsch) as a regular second foreign language for the first time. The Ministry of Education announced this move on Thursday.
This approval allows the Uplengen Upper School to integrate Low German, also known as Plattdeutsch, as a standard curriculum subject. The Ministry stated that this officially embeds the regional language into the daily educational routine. Students in the sixth grade will be able to select this language as their second foreign subject.
Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg described this development as a “milestone” for linguistic diversity in Niedersachsen. She stated, “We are not only giving these languages space in the classroom, but a future-a future that is vibrant, audible, and carried by a new generation”. Previously, Low German was typically taught only as an elective subject, within working groups, or through after-school programs. The Uplengen Upper School is now the first institution in the state to offer the subject through the regular curriculum.
Additionally, State Secretary Stephan Ertner recognized four other schools as either “Plattdeutsch Schools” or “Saterfrisian Schools”. Four other schools were also recertified. In total, 50 schools across Niedersachsen now hold this designation.
