First student representative day in Nordhausen: Young people shape the future!

First student representative day in Nordhausen: Young people shape the future!

Today, November 7th, 2025, an important event for the youth in the Nordhausen district took place in the Rothleimmühle - the first student representative day for secondary schools. 22 student representatives and their representatives took part in this event, which dealt intensively with the role of student representation, co-determination and the existing support structures. It was not only a platform for exchange, but also an opportunity to get to know direct contacts from important institutions, such as the school psychology service, the school authority and the children and youth parliament, as [landkreis-nordhausen.de](https://landkreis-nordhausen.de/aktuelles-details/erster-schueler Representativetag-in-nordhausen) reports.

Stefan Nüßle, the district's first alderman, emphasized the great importance of co-determination in his remarks. He emphasized that the students' voice should not only be heard, but that real participation in decisions is essential for the development of a vibrant school culture. Last but not least, the event was sponsored by the federal program “Living Democracy!” promoted and was characterized by the positive response that the participants expressed regarding a spontaneous continuation.

The challenges of co-determination

But what about the actual participation of students in German schools? A current study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that many young people between the ages of 12 and 16 have little influence on decisions at their school. Around half of the students surveyed reported not feeling heard, which leads to serious questions about the limits of participation. High school students in particular rate their right to have a say in the content of lessons as less compared to other types of schools. Matteo enemy, a critic of fictitious participation, calls for clearer steps to implement real participation, because student representatives could play a key role in making students aware of their rights and giving them a voice, reports deutsches-schulportal.de.

A central concern is the reform of the committee structure, which is required, in particular to strengthen the perception of student voices in school conferences. The previous resolutions in the Ministry of Culture stipulate that although many participants will be included in the overall conference, the structure does not correspond to democratic principles. This is reflected, for example, in the fact that students often lack a clear awareness of and commitment to their rights. In order to counteract this, school law reforms are planned that will introduce binding student representatives at primary and special schools as well as legally anchored class councils.

On the way to a better coexistence

The initiatives launched at the event in Nordhausen could be an important step in the right direction. Workshops organized by school social workers offer space for exchange and further training - from acquired knowledge about co-determination to possible self-initiators of projects. This not only increases awareness of participation, but also promotes commitment.

It remains to be hoped that such meetings, in addition to the vaccination workshops, will also help ensure that young people are more consistently included in the decision-making processes of their schools in the future. Ultimately, tangible participation is not only an opportunity for the students themselves, but also for the schools and the entire educational landscape - a good hand for the future!