Saxony’s Education Minister Conrad Clemens announced on 10 November 2026 that the so-called conduct grades in the state’s schools would be comprehensively revised. A Commission is to submit proposals by 31 December 2026 on which skills should be assessed in future and how the criteria can be defined precisely and consistently.
Currently, Saxon school reports grade pupils on organisation, diligence, participation and conduct. This practice is enshrined in education law. Clemens presented the review as part of a wider project to strengthen assessment and differentiated evaluation. According to the Saxon State Ministry for Education, the commission will also consider whether skills such as social and self-organisation, cooperation and communication should be included as separate areas in the conduct grades or assessed in another way.
The announcement follows sustained criticism from teachers’ unions and associations. They are calling both for reduced documentation requirements and for a legally robust basis for any changes. The Education and Science Workers’ Union in Saxony had already stressed in summer 2026 that, for example, requiring written assessments on end-of-year reports would only be possible through an amendment to the Education Act . Without such a decision, the announced easing of requirements would remain legally uncertain. Teachers’ associations are also calling for clear, practical criteria to ensure conduct grades are comparable between schools.
Politically, the plan forms part of a package of measures from the Education Ministry intended to reduce lesson cancellations and cut administrative workloads in schools. Several elements of the package have recently been the subject of controversy, particularly in relation to feasibility, staffing requirements and the timetable. Critics point out that structural increases in staffing and clear legal foundations are prerequisites for sustainable changes.
When he made the announcement on 10 November 2026, Clemens did not mention any specific legislative proposals or a binding timetable for changes to the Education Act. The commission’s recommendations are expected first. Whether the Saxon State Parliament will then approve legislative amendments or administrative regulations is a separate political decision. The minister’s statements and the assessments by unions and associations reflect the ministry’s public statements to date and have been reported in several recent news articles.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).