The Startchancen Programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research addresses primary, secondary, and vocational schools in socially disadvantaged contexts across all federal states in Germany. The programme primarily aims to strengthen students’ basic competencies in German and mathematics, to support their personal development, and to promote their readiness for vocational training and employability. In addition, school development measures are to be initiated and accompanied by scientific evaluation. At the start of the 2024/25 school year, 2,125 schools nationwide joined the programme; in the medium term, more than 4,000 schools are to be supported by the 2026/27 school year.
Funding is provided through three programme pillars:
- Investments in school equipment and infrastructure to create a learning-conducive environment
- Opportunity budgets to strengthen autonomous school and instructional development
- Expansion of multiprofessional teams
Overall, based on this comprehensive package of measures jointly implemented by the federal and state governments, the programme seeks to reduce educational inequalities related to students’ social background.
