Leistungen A-Z

The system of freedom from learning materials is a combination of free lending (financed by the municipal school authorities) and the acquisition of property by the pupils or parents. The Learning Materials Ordinance stipulates minimum contributions for the school authorities, which they must make available to the schools for their own decision on the purchase of core funds. These learning materials are lent to the students free of charge. At the same time, the Learning Materials Ordinance stipulates annual contributions to be paid by parents, for which they must buy textbooks. The Conference of Teachers determines what these are in concrete terms. The textbooks do not necessarily have to be bought new. Used textbooks can also be used, for example purchased at the textbook bazaar or already available from older siblings. The textbooks acquired as part of the own contribution remain the property of the pupils or the parents.

Certain learning materials are exempt from the freedom to use learning materials, e.g. learning materials at vocational schools that also serve the exercise of a profession and learning materials that are consumed during single use and are therefore not suitable for borrowing, such as workbooks and worksheets. These are to be purchased by the parents in addition to the textbooks to be procured as part of the own contribution. Schools should limit the use of workbooks and worksheets to what is strictly necessary. This includes the use of appropriate photocopies. By law, it is permissible to make photocopies of copyrighted artwork in class size if the reproduction is limited to small parts of the original and this is done exclusively for educational purposes.

Parents or adult pupils have to bear part of the textbook costs themselves. The amount of the own contribution can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MBJS).

• Website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport

• Ordinance on the Approval of Learning Materials and on the Freedom of Learning Materials (Lernmittelverordnung - LernMV)