This now applies to the allocation of school places in Jena

New regulations now apply to the allocation of school places in Jena. This was agreed by the city of Jena, the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the East Thuringian State Education Authority. The corresponding general decree was published in the official gazette of the Thuringian Ministry of Education on 24.04.2026 and comes into force on 01.05.2026. It therefore already applies to registration for the 2027/2028 school year, which will take place between 2 and 10 May 2026.

The new regulation is based on Section 15a (8) of the Thuringian School Act. A quota of 25 percent of the available places is available for families who have a particular interest in the reform pedagogical concept or the special profile of a community school. Siblings are also given priority.

Jena is characterized by a diverse school landscape with different educational concepts and profiles. In order to meet the desire of families for a free choice of school, a special regulation for the school admission procedure in Jena was necessary, which deviates from the requirements of the Thuringian School Act.

New procedure already applies to the registration phase that is now starting

The updated school registration form is now available as a fillable PDF document on the website of the City of Jena. Parents whose children will be attending school from the 2027/2028 school year can either hand it in personally at their first choice school or send it by post between 2 and 10 May 2026.

"I would like to expressly thank the Jena parent representatives, city councillors and colleagues in the school administration who actively promoted the dialog and thus contributed to this suitable solution for Jena. I am also grateful to the Thuringian Ministry of Education and the East Thuringia State Education Authority for working together to find a constructive solution. The general decree now in force provides clarity and planning security for all Jena families whose children will be starting first and fifth grade in the coming 2027 school year,"

said Johannes Schleußner, Head of Education.

All information on school registration:

https://schulen.jena.de/schulen

Registration form:

https://schulen.jena.de/system/files/2026-04/Anmeldeunterlagen_K1_2728…