Here, discrimination was particularly likely to be based on ethnicity or racist grounds as well as religion, above all islamophobia. Beyond that, in the education sector the rate of discrimination relating to socio-economic status is also above average.

Unfortunately, many people experience discrimination in child day-care centres, schools and in tertiary education at the hands of educators, teachers, head teachers or professors on a regular basis: Examples include discrimination when day-care, school or study places are allocated, lack of accessibility, lower marks, a lack of compensation for disadvantages or disparaging remarks. Moreover, fellow pupils’ behaviour can also be discriminatory, especially bullying on account of a certain discrimination characteristic.

For the most part, however, the General Equal Treatment Act (German abbreviation: AGG) only applies to staff (teachers, social workers) in government-run schools and tertiary education. Pupils and students are only protected under the AGG when they attend private education providers.

Here, the relevant federal and Land laws need to be revised to close existing legal loopholes and ensure legal certainty and improved legal protection for the parents, children, pupils and students affected.

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency offers a wealth of studies and information on the protection from discrimination and the strengthening of diversity in education.