Illustration representing SEL in German primary schools

SEL in German Primary Schools

Soziales Lernen, Sozialkompetenz, and the Startchancen-Programm: How Germany's Federated System Approaches Social-Emotional Development in the Grundschule

A practical guide for teachers and school leaders in German primary schools: where social-emotional skills fit within the Bildungsplan, how the 16-state system creates both challenges and opportunities, what the Startchancen-Programm means for social-emotional provision, and what structured instruction looks like in the context of a system that expects holistic development but rarely prescribes how to deliver it.

A Class 2 teacher in a Grundschule in Nordrhein-Westfalen opens her Lehrplan. It tells her that fostering emotional and social development has a “particular significance” in primary school. It tells her that the Morgenkreis (morning circle) and Klassenrat (class council) create spaces for discussing feelings, resolving conflict, and building community. It tells her that social competence should be promoted across all subjects.

Then she opens the Bildungsplan for her neighbouring state, Baden-Württemberg, and finds a different document with different terminology, different structure, and different emphasis. Her colleague in Berlin works under a Rahmenlehrplan that covers years 1 to 10 jointly. Her colleague in Bavaria follows yet another Lehrplan entirely.

All 16 states agree that social-emotional development matters. None of them have agreed on a common approach to teaching it. And none of them mandate a dedicated subject or structured programme for doing so.[1][2]

The German Education System

Germany's education system is one of the most decentralised in Europe. Under the Basic Law (Grundgesetz), education is the primary responsibility of the 16 federal states (Bundesländer). Each state has its own Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, its own curriculum, its own school structures, and its own approach to what and how children learn.[1][2]

The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) coordinates cross-state education policy through Bildungsstandards (educational standards). But these standards focus primarily on academic subjects. Social-emotional competencies remain largely a matter of state-level curriculum design and individual school practice.[2][3]

16 States, 5+ Curriculum Document Types

Every state names Sozialkompetenz as a goal. No two states use the same document to describe it.

BW

Baden-Württemberg

Bildungsplan

BY

Bayern

LehrplanPLUS

BE

Berlin

Rahmenlehrplan

BB

Brandenburg

Rahmenlehrplan

HB

Bremen

Bildungsplan

HH

Hamburg

Bildungsplan

HE

Hessen

Kerncurriculum

MV

Meckl.-Vorpommern

Rahmenlehrplan

NI

Niedersachsen

Kerncurriculum

NW

Nordrhein-Westf.

Lehrplan

RP

Rheinland-Pfalz

Rahmenplan

SL

Saarland

Kernlehrplan

SN

Sachsen

Lehrplan

ST

Sachsen-Anhalt

Lehrplan

SH

Schleswig-Holstein

Fachanforderungen

TH

Thüringen

Lehrplan

Bildungsplan (3)

Lehrplan / LehrplanPLUS (5)

Rahmenlehrplan / Rahmenplan (4)

Kerncurriculum / Kernlehrplan (3)

Fachanforderungen (1)

The German reality: All 16 states expect Sozialkompetenz. None mandate a specific programme to deliver it. Teachers in different states work from documents that do not even share a name.

Years 1–4

Grundschule

Ages 6–10 (Years 1–6 in Berlin & Brandenburg)

20–28

Students per class

Substantially smaller than many international systems

2026

Ganztagsschule entitlement

All-day schooling creates more time for SEL

The German Terminology

Germany has its own vocabulary for what English-language frameworks call SEL. The terms reflect the German educational tradition of Bildung — a concept broader than “education” that encompasses the formation of the whole person.

Soziales Lernen

Social learning. The most commonly used term for structured promotion of social-emotional skills in German schools.[4]

Sozialkompetenz

Social competence. The broader capability: communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy, and functioning constructively within a group.[4][5]

Persönlichkeitsentwicklung

Personal development. The broader aim of German primary education. Most state school laws define schooling as developing the whole personality (Persönlichkeit).

Lebenskompetenz

Life skills. Used in health promotion and prevention contexts. The BZgA has promoted Lebenskompetenzprogramme in schools for decades.[6]

Demokratieerziehung

Democratic education. A strong post-war tradition. The Klassenrat (class council) is its most widespread expression, building negotiation and participation skills.

Werteerziehung

Values education. Connected to Religion and Ethik subjects but also named as a cross-curricular responsibility across all states.

Where Social-Emotional Skills Fit in the German Curriculum

Cross-Curricular Expectation, No Dedicated Subject

The KMK's agreement on primary school education explicitly states that “the promotion of emotional and social development holds a particular significance in the Grundschule.”[1]

However, in no state is there a mandatory, standalone social-emotional learning subject with a standardised syllabus, assessment criteria, and dedicated instructional time.[5] Research notes that “while academic qualification goals are described precisely, educational goals often remain unclear” and “concrete teaching recommendations and time resources to meet socialisation qualifications are lacking.”[7]

Sachunterricht and Religion/Ethik

Sachunterricht (general studies) is the primary subject where social learning content appears, including community, living together, rules, conflict, and personal development alongside science content.

Religion and Ethik provide structured space for moral reasoning, values, and ethical dilemmas. For students in Ethik (an alternative to Religion), similar content is delivered through a philosophical lens.

Morgenkreis and Klassenrat

The two most widespread structures for social-emotional work in German Grundschulen are not subjects at all. They are routines.

Routines Provide the Space — Not the Curriculum

What Morgenkreis and Klassenrat deliver vs. what structured SEL instruction adds

Morgenkreis
Morning circle
Klassenrat
Class council
Structured SEL
S.A.F.E. programme
Emotional check-in✓—✓
Sequenced skill progression——✓
Conflict resolution practice—✓✓
Active skill rehearsal——✓
Democratic participation—✓✓
Weekly learning objectives——✓
Emotional regulation strategies——✓
Community building✓✓✓

The Morgenkreis and Klassenrat are valuable. They provide space and routine. Structured SEL instruction adds the sequenced content, explicit skill teaching, and progressive development that routines alone cannot deliver.

The Startchancen-Programm

Launched on 1 August 2024, the Startchancen-Programm is the largest education programme in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Federal and state governments each provide approximately one billion euros annually over ten years, targeting schools in disadvantaged areas.[8]

The Startchancen-Programm

The largest education programme in the history of the Federal Republic

€2 billion / year

10 years

~4,000 schools

🏗️

Säule 1

Infrastruktur

Infrastructure

👥

Säule 2

Personal

Staffing

✨

Säule 3

Schulbudget

School Development

SEL funding

Pillar 3 is the clearest funding mechanism Germany has ever provided for social-emotional learning at scale. Schools can use their development budgets to implement structured soziales Lernen programmes.

What the Research Shows

German-Specific Evidence

Papilio-6to9

A 2025 pilot evaluation using a randomised waiting control group design with 224 children (ages 6 to 9) from 12 classes found that programme participation was associated with lower problem scores, higher social skills, and higher executive functions. Developed at Freie Universität Berlin, the programme uses a manualized, multi-component approach targeting both students and teachers.[7]

Papilio-3to6

A randomised controlled trial with 627 children across 50 groups demonstrated effectiveness in promoting social-emotional skills and reducing behavioural problems in early childhood settings.[9]

The Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung reviewed German life skills programmes and found evidence of effectiveness, particularly in prevention of substance use and promotion of social competence.[6]

The International Evidence in German Context

The Durlak et al. (2011) meta-analysis found an 11-percentile-point gain in academic achievement from S.A.F.E. programmes.[10] The 2023 Cipriano et al. meta-analysis confirmed these findings.[11]

The S.A.F.E. criteria describe precisely what most German Grundschulen currently lack: a sequenced progression across the school year, active practice rather than discussion only, focused dedicated time rather than cross-curricular integration alone, and explicit instruction with clear learning objectives for social-emotional skills.

Germany's Strengths

The German system has genuine structural advantages for social-emotional learning that structured provision should build upon.

Small Class Sizes

20–28 students make interactive, skills-based instruction substantially more feasible than in systems with 40–50 students. Partner discussions, role-play, and small-group activities are practical at this scale.

Ganztagsschule Expansion

All-day schooling entitlement from 2026 creates additional time for social-emotional instruction, creative activities, and social interaction that half-day schools cannot offer.

Democratic Education Tradition

The Klassenrat and Demokratieerziehung provide a structural foundation that links personal development to democratic participation, practising SEL competencies in context.

Teacher Autonomy

Curricula are “formulated in a general way to leave teachers room for their own approaches.”[3] No barriers to adoption. The room for interpretation is both the challenge and the opportunity.

What German Schools Need

A Sequenced Curriculum That Fills the Gap

German schools have the routines (Morgenkreis, Klassenrat) and the mandate (Sozialkompetenz as cross-curricular goal) but lack the structured content. A scope and sequence that builds competencies progressively from Year 1 to Year 4 fills the gap between what the Bildungsplan expects and what actually happens in classrooms.[10]

Programmes That Work Within German School Culture

German school culture values teacher autonomy, democratic participation, and integration across subjects. Programmes that provide clear structure while allowing teacher flexibility in delivery align with how German teachers prefer to work.

Cultural and Linguistic Accessibility

Germany's Grundschulen serve an increasingly diverse student population. Programmes using visual materials, character-driven stories, and activity-based learning that does not depend entirely on advanced German literacy serve all students, including those building language skills alongside social-emotional skills.[4]

Alignment With the Bildungsplan

Mapping to CASEL competencies provides an evidence-based framework that aligns with Sozialkompetenz goals across all 16 states, even when the specific Bildungsplan language differs.

Startchancen-Compatible Implementation

For the ~4,000 schools in the Startchancen-Programm, structured social-emotional provision is an eligible use of the school development budget. Programmes that schools can adopt with minimal external support fit the programme's design.[8]

What to Avoid

Assuming the Morgenkreis Is Sufficient

The Morgenkreis provides the space. It does not provide the curriculum. A daily circle where students share feelings is not the same as sequenced instruction in emotional regulation, conflict resolution, empathy, and responsible decision-making.

Treating Soziales Lernen as Something That Happens Automatically

“Children learn social skills by being together.” This is true in the same way that children learn to read by being surrounded by books: the exposure is necessary, the structured instruction is what produces competence.[7][10]

Waiting for 16-State Consensus

Germany will not achieve a unified national approach to social-emotional education in the foreseeable future. Individual schools and teachers do not need to wait. The Lehrplan already expects Sozialkompetenz. The tools to deliver it are the missing piece.

Importing Programmes Without Adaptation

Effective provision in German Grundschulen aligns with German pedagogical traditions: the emphasis on Bildung as whole-person development, the value placed on Gemeinschaft in the classroom, and the democratic participation structures that teachers already use.

References

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
  3. [3]
  4. [4]

    Betzold. (2025). Sozialkompetenz und soziales Lernen in der Grundschule.

    https://www.betzold.de/blog/sozialkompetenz-soziales-lernen/
  5. [5]

    Sozial-emotionales Lernen in der Schule: Konzepte, Potenziale. (2017). In Springer.

    https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-658-18589-3_14
  6. [6]

    Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA). (2005). Gesundheitsförderung durch Lebenskompetenzprogramme in Deutschland.

    https://www.scribd.com/document/1034331687/60646000-2
  7. [7]

    Lechner, V., Ortelbach, N., & Scheithauer, H. (2025). Fostering of social, emotional, and cognitive skills in elementary schools: The Papilio-6to9 program. Frontiers in Psychology.

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12695554/
  8. [8]

    KMK. (2024). Startchancen-Programm. In: Ongoing Reforms and Policy Developments.

    https://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/pdf/Eurydice/EN/reforms.pdf
  9. [9]

    Scheithauer, H., Hess, M., Zarra-Nezhad, M., Peter, C., & Wölfer, R. (2022). Developmentally appropriate prevention of behavioral and emotional problems: The Papilio-3to6 program. International Journal of Developmental Science, 16, 99-118.

    https://doi.org/10.3233/DEV-220331
  10. [10]

    Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
  11. [11]

    Cipriano, C., et al. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis. Child Development, 94(5), 1181-1204.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13968

Bring Structured Soziales Lernen to Your Grundschule

Be The Buffalo provides 40 weeks of CASEL-aligned social-emotional and character education curriculum that addresses the Sozialkompetenz goals across all 16 German state curricula. Projector-based, whole-class delivery with no student devices or accounts. Native bilingual delivery. No prep. No student data. Startchancen-compatible.

Sign Up Free

Related Resources

What Is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

A clear explanation of SEL and why it matters in primary classrooms

Understanding the CASEL Framework

The five CASEL competencies map directly to Sozialkompetenz goals in German Bildungspläne

Best Character Education Curriculum

What to look for in a character education programme that works in real classrooms

Back to Resources