In Saxony-Anhalt will discuss the shortage of host families for international exchange students again on 10 November 2026. According to recent reports from the state administration and debates in the state parliament exchange numbers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Schools and organisations report that fewer places could be filled for the 2025/26 school year because accommodation is lacking locally.
The Ministry of Education attributes the trend to several factors: a shrinking number of potential host households, greater pressures in everyday life, limited available housing in sought-after areas and less voluntary involvement. Parliamentary discussions also note that the search for host families often fails at the last minute and that regional coordination is not effective everywhere. These assessments are based on official state publications and replies to written parliamentary questions from 2025 and 2026.
Placement organisations such as AFS and the non-profit organisation Experiment e.V. have been making a concerted effort for months to recruit new host households. They stress that hosts need not be families with children: couples, people living alone and grandparents are also eligible. Local appeals – for example in Jerichower Land and in Magdeburg – nevertheless show that the response varies and planned arrivals sometimes have to be postponed.
The consequences are tangible: exchange stays are shortened, partnerships between schools come under pressure, and approved funding cannot be fully drawn down if accommodation has not been arranged. Schools report additional organisational work as they have to make up for last-minute cancellations and find alternatives.
Several countermeasures are being discussed. These include central regional contact points for placements, closer coordination between schools, local authorities and organisations, targeted information campaigns, and temporary financial relief for host families. Supporters of these measures point to the educational value of intercultural encounters and the long-term networks that grow out of successful exchange cohorts. Critics warn that funding commitments alone will achieve little without local support and practical solutions to housing.
Forecasts of a rapid reversal in the trend remain cautious. Further developments and improvements, according to the shared assessments of the ministry, state parliament and organisations, depend above all on whether tailored support services are established locally and recruitment of host families is conducted consistently and reliably. Robust data for the 2026/27 school year will not be available until later.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).