Union/Association

The GEW (union of individuals employed in education and science) represents the educational branch of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB). The GEW comprises 260,000 men and women who work as educational and academic professionals at primary schools, Hauptschule (one of the two types of non-college track German secondary schools), Realschulen (one of the two types of non-college track high schools in Germany), college preparatory high schools, comprehensive secondary schools, vocational schools, special schools, secondary schools, Kollegschule (Hessian version of the Berufskolleg – school for older students who wish to go back to school to obtain the Abitur) and other school types, as well as in day-care centres and youth centres, universities, scientific and research institutes, at adult education centres and other institutes of continuing education, at German schools and universities abroad, and at Goethe institutes around the world. Unemployed educators and academics are also members of the GEW, where they have equal rights with students.

For the GEW, education is the main concern for the future of our society. Children as well as adults have to learn how to maintain our basic living conditions and to facilitate a peaceful coexistence. The GEW does not limit itself to empty promises, but rather gets involved on the ground, e.g. by providing reasonable working conditions, securing jobs in the educational sector, developing and carrying out pedagogical reform projects like all-day schools or integration classes, demonstrating the importance of infantile education and organizing campaigns to fight xenophobia. The GEW fights to preserve jobs in the educational sector, especially in the new German Länder. The GEW is not only a unionised lobby for its members, but also an educational political and socio-political pressure group for learners of all ages, be it children, youths or adults. We offer our members the support of a trade union – legal protection, guidance, information, learning opportunities as well as numerous possibilities to get involved in the social policy and education-related debate. In addition, we support social projects and promote international solidarity. Equal opportunities, co-determination, social security and democracy are GEW's most important guidelines.

The BAG was founded more than 50 years ago. It is the registered association of the state level working groups of social workers and social education workers occupied in German prisons. The BAG represents the interests of 1,300 social workers in prisons. Apart from supporting the work of colleagues in prisons with an information network and expert conferences, the BAG also develops innovative guidelines for working with prison inmates.