Successful graduates: Potsdam teacher program for refugees rejoices!

Successful graduates: Potsdam teacher program for refugees rejoices!

On March 24, 2025, a ceremony marking the conclusion of the Refugee Teachers Program took place at the University of Potsdam. Twelve graduates received their final certificates, which entitle them to teach at German schools. Prof. Dr. Andreas Borowski, Director of the Center for Teacher Training and Educational Research, congratulated the graduates and praised their perseverance and performance.

The Refugee Teachers Program was launched in 2016 to prepare refugee and immigrant teachers for everyday German school life. In recent years, a total of 133 teachers have successfully completed the program and are now actively contributing to teaching in Brandenburg. Entisar Karkokli, the program's first graduate, recently received civil servant status and is a shining example of the success of this inclusive educational offering.

A valuable contribution to integration

The graduates of the program not only significantly improved their German skills, but also took part in educational seminars and studied a second subject. In the ceremonial closing speech, Pedro Osório Mondlane emphasized the essential support that the program provided for the graduates on their professional path. Many of them live on social benefits while studying and are on average in their mid-30s, which increases the challenges of their integration.

G. Dawud, a graduate who fled Syria, now works as a primary school teacher in Rathenow. His experiences reflect the reality of a teacher shortage in Germany, where around 2,000 international teachers lose their jobs every year due to a lack of recognition of their qualifications. In 2016, there were over 600 applications for the first ten places in the program in Germany alone, which illustrates the high demand.

One year after leaving the program, graduates are entitled to complete a paid internship or attend an adaptation course. The training usually lasts two years and includes intensive language courses and practical experience. Graduates must achieve at least a self-study level of C1, and increasingly C2, in the German language in order to be fully recognized in the German school system.

Perspectives on teacher training

Dr. Christian Jennerich and Christian Marx developed and coordinated the German courses as part of the program, which ensures the high quality of the training. The University of Potsdam plans to expand the offering into a certificate program for International Teachers Studies. There are now 17 locations in Germany that offer similar programs based on the Potsdam model.

As part of its measures to integrate young refugees through education, the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) has also developed standards for teacher training. What is important is rapid language acquisition and support for teachers so that they understand the social and cultural living conditions of their students. Topics such as migration, integration and heterogeneity play an important role in training and teaching, which is intended to improve integration.

Looking to the future, the program leaders would like to see more flexibility in the German school system, especially with regard to the requirements for teachers for two subjects. The need for suitably qualified teachers remains an urgent issue in the educational landscape, and further efforts are required to further promote the integration of teachers and students with a migrant background. The KMK repeatedly presents measures that strengthen the educational partnership between schools and parents.

The importance of the Refugee Teachers Program could not be greater when one considers the challenges that schools across Germany face, particularly in relation to dealing with refugee children and young people. Continued support for such programs remains critical to promoting equity and inclusion in education.

For further information about the KMK's integration program and initiatives, please visit the University of Potsdam website here, from Tagesschau here and the KMK here.