As of November 12, 2024
A critical analysis of the AfD's child policy
Did you know that several measures advocated by the AfD so far are against children's rights? In the fall of 2024, we analyzed the party's election manifestos and publications. The results were summarized on posters and in our information booklet .
Whether it's about prosecuting children as young as 12, or about returning to an authoritarian school system – if these measures were implemented, nothing good would be in store for the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society.
Six reasons why AfD policies contradict children's rights
(As of November 12, 2024)
The AfD says:
"Given the increasing brutality of juvenile criminals and the serious problem of juvenile repeat offenders, we consider it important and appropriate to apply adult criminal law to adult offenders and to lower the age of criminal responsibility to twelve years." (1)
The AfD claims that youth crime has become more brutal in recent years. (2) In fact, the research does not support this claim. (3) Nevertheless, the AfD uses this statement to bolster its proposal: It wants children to be held criminally responsible much earlier – at 12 instead of 14.
We believe that children and young people have a right to age-appropriate criminal proceedings. This includes an appropriate minimum age for criminal responsibility, which is internationally recognized as 14 years. We consider it inappropriate to prosecute children as young as 12.
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[1] »Program for Germany – The Basic Program of the Alternative for Germany«, adopted at the Federal Party Conference in Stuttgart on 30 April/1 May 2016, last accessed on 14 August 2024, p. 25 (hereinafter »Basic Program«)
[2] Basic Program, p. 25; AfD Bundestag election program 2021, adopted at the 12th Federal Party Congress of the AfD in Dresden, 10-11 April 2021, last accessed on 14 August 2024, p. 78.
[3] Wolfgang Heinz, “Youth Crime - Figures and Facts”, bpb, 15 December 2023, www.bpb.de/themen/recht-justiz/gangsterlaeufer/203562/jugendkriminalitaet-zahlen-und-fakten/ last accessed on 9 August 2024; “Figures – Data – Facts Youth Violence”, Working Group on Child and Youth Crime Prevention of the German Youth Institute, updated June 2023, p. 16.
(As of November 12, 2024)
The website of the Federal AfD states: "Special needs schools must once again become the norm for students with special educational needs." (4)
If the AfD were to implement its plans, many children would have to leave regular school – namely all those with special educational needs.
We believe that special educational needs should not necessarily lead to exclusion from mainstream schools. Inclusion and integration must take place where it is good and makes sense for children. A blanket banishment of children with special educational needs from mainstream schools is incompatible with children's rights and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Democratic and free societies are based on the principle that all people can participate in social life.
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[4] Website of the AfD Federal Association, details of the election program, section Education, Science & Research – “No ideologically motivated inclusion: Maintain special needs schools”, www.afd.de/wahlprogramm-bildung-wissenschaft-forschung/, last accessed on 09.08.2024; AfD Bundestag Election Program 2021, adopted at the 12th Federal Party Conference of the AfD in Dresden, April 10-11, 2021, www.afd.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210611_AfD_Programm_2021.pdf, last accessed on August 14, 2024, p. 150 (hereinafter: “Bundestag Election Program 2021”).
(As of November 12, 2024)
Götz Frömming, education policy spokesperson and parliamentary managing director of the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, says:
"Students from conservative Muslim families, in particular, cannot relate to permissive, left-leaning educational approaches. Therefore, classic secondary virtues such as punctuality, obedience, achievement, and discipline must be reintroduced in our schools. This requires teachers who receive strong support from the school administration and a school legislature that restores them with the necessary authority. At the same time, the influx of further educationally disadvantaged migrants must be stopped immediately so that our education system can regenerate." (5)
We believe that such a view of schooling gives too little consideration to the individual needs of students, as well as to collaborative learning. A purely performance-oriented, authoritarian school system contradicts the educational goals of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children have a right to a good and age-appropriate education, regardless of their background. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, age-appropriate education means that education is geared towards the development of the child's personality. Furthermore, children should learn to respect human rights and to appreciate their own and other cultures. Authoritarian schools, as advocated by the AfD, are contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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[5] Press release AfD parliamentary group, Götz Frömming, education policy spokesperson and parliamentary managing director of the AfD parliamentary group, Berlin, 18 March 2024, on reports of significantly increasing violence at German schools, afdbundestag.de/goetz-froemming-ursachen-zunehmender-gewalt-an-schulen-bekaempfen/, last accessed on 6 August 2024 (hereinafter: “Frömming”).
(As of November 12, 2024)
The AfD in Brandenburg says: "We want to cap the proportion of migrants in publicly run schools at a maximum of ten percent and introduce the principle of German before regular schooling." (6)
We believe this misses the fundamental problem with our education system. Our school system must be improved for all children, regardless of their migration background. Educational success in Germany depends heavily on social origin and not on the abilities of individual students. (7) Immigrant children are often disadvantaged in the German education system. Both of these things are unjust. Demanding a cap on the number of students with a migration background in schools does not solve the problem. Access to education and the promotion of personal development is a fundamental human right that applies to all children.
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[6] “It is time for a different policy.” - AfD government program for Brandenburg for the 2024 Brandenburg state election", last accessed on 14.08.2024, p. 44.
[7] Ifo Institute, press release of 18.04.2023, “Opportunities Monitor 2023: Educational opportunities depend heavily on the family background”, www.ifo.de/pressemitteilung/2023-04-18/chancenmonitor-2023-bildungschancen-haengen-stark-vom-elternhaus-ab, last accessed on 08.10.2024; Annette Kuhn, “How much do educational trajectories depend on social background?”, May 19, 2023, updated June 1, 2023, German School Portal of the Robert Bosch Foundation, deutsches-schulportal.de/bildungswesen/infografik-kai-maaz-von-welchen-faktoren-haengen-bildungsverlaeufe-ab/, last accessed October 8, 2024.
(As of November 12, 2024)
"We want to enshrine a child-friendly society as a national objective in the Basic Law. This strengthens families and obligates politicians to genuinely be family-friendly – in contrast to the inclusion of 'children's rights' in the Basic Law, which is only intended to secure the state 'air supremacy over children's bedrooms.' Children are already bearers of fundamental rights. Separate 'children's rights' therefore only weaken parental rights under Article 6 of the Basic Law." (8)
We believe that societies are only truly child-friendly if they grant children their own rights. It is true that children are already bearers of fundamental rights. Nevertheless, they are often disadvantaged and their special needs are overlooked. Explicitly enshrining children's rights in the Basic Law (Germany's constitution) should ensure that this is no longer the case in the future, because children's rights would then be a more visible part of the constitution. The AfD's proposed state objective of a child-friendly society does not replace the anchoring of children's rights in the Basic Law.
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[8] AfD Federal Election Program 2021, adopted at the 12th Federal Party Congress of the AfD in Dresden, April 10-11, 2021, last accessed August 14, 2024, p. 108.
(As of November 12, 2024)
When families are separated while fleeing, it can happen that unaccompanied minors arrive in Germany alone. The AfD wants to deny these refugee children and young people the right to live with their parents and siblings in Germany.
The Thuringia AfD says: "Family reunifications for unaccompanied minor foreigners can take place in safe third countries outside of Germany." (9)
The federal AfD also suspects abuse, saying: (10)
"Unaccompanied, allegedly underage foreigners (UMAs) are abusing immigration and asylum law." (11)
The AfD's statements contribute to the formation of prejudices and stigmatization, which negatively impact the integration of unaccompanied minors here in Germany.
We believe: Families belong together! Unaccompanied minor refugees must have a right to family reunification in Germany. Accordingly, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child also stipulates that applications for entry for the purpose of family reunification must be processed favorably, humanely, and expeditiously.
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[9] “Everything for Thuringia”, AfD Thuringia election program for the 2024 Thuringian state election, adopted by the state party conference on April 27, 2024, last accessed on August 14, 2024, p. 70
[10] “Program for Germany – The Basic Program of the Alternative for Germany”, adopted at the federal party conference in Stuttgart on April 30/May 1, 2016, last accessed on August 14, 2024, p. 63; Website of the AfD Federal Association, Topics & Positions, section “Immigration/Asylum – No further immigration into the social welfare system”, www.afd.de/zuwanderung-asyl/, last accessed on 09.08.2024.
[11] Website of the AfD Federal Association, Topics & Positions, section “Immigration/Asylum – The costs for unaccompanied minor foreigners are exploding”, 2024, www.afd.de/zuwanderung-asyl/, last accessed on 09.08.2024.
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As of November 12, 2024:
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Political demands that contradict children's rights? What we mean by that
In the fall of 2024, Terre des Hommes scrutinized various election programs, publications, and demands of the AfD (Alternative for Germany). The result: According to Terre des Hommes , several measures openly advocated by the AfD and its state associations at that time violated children's rights as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our analysis clearly showed that implementing such demands would weaken children's rights in a number of areas. Whether it concerns the exclusion of children with special educational needs and those with a migration background from mainstream schools, the restriction of sexual self-determination, or a return to an authoritarian education system – we believe such policies are contrary to children's rights.
Why were these demands from the AfD?
Terre des Hommes is politically neutral according to its statutes and therefore neither for nor against any particular political party. However, we do express political views when our mission – the realization and promotion of children's rights – is affected. If a party advocates or has advocated positions hostile to children's rights, then it is our duty to draw attention to this. In the past, we have already addressed the positions, demands, and proposals of various parties.