Cheers in Stendal: Certificates for migrant students despite challenges!

Cheers in Stendal: Certificates for migrant students despite challenges!

On June 25, 2025, it was that time again at the “Wladimir Komarov” secondary school in Stendal: around 40 tenth graders received their certificates, an important moment in their educational path. Headmaster Christiane Bloch emphasized how difficult this journey was, especially for the students who came to school during the corona pandemic. The challenges cannot be underestimated, as a high proportion of 75% of the 320 students have a migrant background and the school represents 32 nations.

Of the graduates, 12 achieved an extended secondary school qualification and 27 achieved a secondary school qualification. The individual achievements are particularly noteworthy: Olha Konovalenko, who came from Ukraine in 2022, impressed with an average grade of 1.2. Soraya Khalili Vahed, whose family comes from Iran, achieved the best average with 1.0. Elnaz Hashimi, who immigrated from Afghanistan in 2014, plans to start training as a nurse in Hamburg.

Cultural diversity and challenges

The high number of students with a migrant background has reasons that are primarily due to the influx of Ukrainian families since 2022. The proportion of migrants has increased noticeably, which also explains the introduction of an international class at the school in 2000. 21 children are currently being cared for there. This multicultural environment is enriching, but also brings challenges, especially when you consider that educational success in Germany often depends on migration status. Students with a family history of immigration are often considered to be educationally disadvantaged, as bpb.de explains.

There are differences in access to high schools that vary depending on the generation: 16.1% of the first generation attend high school, while for the second generation this number is already 30.3%. For the 2.5. Generation it is even 35.7%. In comparison, the figure for non-immigrant classmates is 43.0%. The 2018 PISA study also shows that there are differences in reading skills that can have a negative impact on school careers.

Construction and teaching situation

Despite the diversity and positive developments, the school faces challenges. Renovation work, which is associated with costs of 2.6 million euros, has already dragged on for over two years. Classes for some students now take place in containers. With a teaching provision of just 59.4%, the school is below the national average, which urgently needs to be improved. Even if the school is represented in the federal “Start-Chances” program in order to develop its own profile, there is uncertainty about the financial resources available to it. A total of 20 billion euros over ten years are available for such programs, financed by the federal and state governments.

Overall, it shows that the “Vladimir Komarov” secondary school is both an important institution for the integration of migrant children and a place where educational success can be achieved. The mix of diversity and challenges makes the work of teachers and school management particularly demanding, but also rewarding.