Nearly one-third of students fail Abitur at Hagenow school; investigation launched

An unusually high number of students failed their Abitur exams at a gymnasium in Hagenow, prompting an investigation by the State School Office in Schwerin. Of the 51 students eligible for the university entrance exams, 18 did not pass, equating to approximately 35% of the cohort. One student was not admitted to the examination at all.

The State School Office confirmed it is comprehensively analyzing the causes behind this significant failure rate. The findings will be evaluated in subject-specific conferences and incorporated into ongoing internal and external assessments. The school reported that teaching continuity was maintained, with no changes in instructors for core subjects like mathematics, German, and history. Short-term and long-term absences due to illness were managed through organizational and personnel measures, ensuring that instruction was provided.

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The causes here are currently being comprehensively analyzed.

This situation gained public attention after a clip from a student's graduation speech circulated on social media and was reported by several media outlets. In the speech, the student reportedly made accusations against some teachers and criticized the high number of students who failed the Abitur. The School Office acknowledged that the student expressed "insults and slander" in her speech, attributing it to her failure to pass the exams. Nationwide statistics for the current year are not yet available, but in 2025, 8.3% of students in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern failed the Abitur, a figure that has been rising from 7.4% the previous year and is significantly higher than the single-digit failure rates reported in other German states.

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This was certainly due to the fact that she did not pass the Abitur exams.