School resumes in NRW following the holiday break
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, a significant change is on the horizon for secondary school students. Starting from the 2026/27 academic year, CPR training will become compulsory in all secondary schools within the region.
This initiative, part of a broader move in several German states, aims to improve bystander readiness for cardiac emergencies. As of mid-2025, the details of the exact implementation, curriculum requirements, and school levels affected are yet to be officially confirmed. For the most precise information, consulting official North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education sources or recent regional government announcements is recommended.
The CPR training will teach students the "Check - Call - Compress" method, preparing them to save lives in an emergency. Students in grades 7 to 9 will be the primary recipients of this training.
Meanwhile, other educational and societal issues are also gaining attention. NRW's Minister of Education, Dorothee Feller, will speak on important topics at the beginning of the new school year. Among the topics she will address are teacher shortages, AI, and mobile phone bans at schools.
Manfred Spitzer, a bestselling author and neuroscience expert, has criticized the early access children have to smartphones and tablets. He believes that digitalization in schools is not beneficial and has expressed concern about the chaotic and dangerous situations that the practice of parental taxis regularly leads to around schools.
Many parents in North Rhine-Westphalia drive their children to school due to concerns for their safety, time pressure, or convenience. This trend, commonly known as parental taxis, is a well-known problem in the region's schools.
As the new school year approaches, these issues will undoubtedly be discussed and debated, shaping the educational landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond.
- The compulsory CPR training in secondary schools of North Rhine-Westphalia, part of a wider focus on health-and-wellness, seeks to equip students with essential life-saving skills.
- Aside from the CPR training, other educational and societal issues such as teacher shortages, AI integrations, mobile phone bans, and the impact of digitalization in schools, are being addressed by the region's Minister of Education.
