North Rhine-Westphalia primary students increase all-day school participation

More than half of primary school students in North Rhine-Westphalia participated in all-day school programs during the 2025/26 school year, according to data from the State Statistical Office.

The proportion of students utilizing open or bound all-day care has risen steadily from 42.4% in the 2015/16 school year to 56.2% in 2025/26. This growth follows the All-Day Promotion Act (GaFöG), which mandates a phased introduction of a legal entitlement to all-day care for primary school children, starting with first grade in 2026.

Among first graders, the participation rate was slightly higher at 58.1%. Regional data shows significant variation: Cologne reported the highest participation rate at 86.5%, followed by Leverkusen at 83.8% and Oberhausen at 80.3%. Conversely, the lowest rates were recorded in Olpe (31.1%), Borken (32.7%), Siegen-Wittgenstein (33.6%), and Hochsauerlandkreis (33.6%).

Of the 409,835 students participating in all-day programs, over 99% were enrolled in open all-day care, which involves extracurricular activities. Only 3,615 children were enrolled in bound all-day programs, where participation in all-day activities is mandatory for all students.