It's 8:30 in the morning in the 5a classroom at the Johann Hinrich Wichern School in Frankfurt. The eleven to twelve-year-old children are fighting their tiredness – it's one of the rare cases in which they all have the same problem.

The longer the day lasts, the more clearly the various difficulties become apparent.

Some can't concentrate, others only understand a question the third time, and a few fled to Germany only recently.

In addition, there are hardly two students from the 5a from the same country - the families of some come from Germany, others from Morocco, Ghana, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Poland or Italy.

Carlota Brandis

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The homeroom teacher, Yordu Kahsay, wants to teach them all something.

First a bit of math today, then ethics after the break, and finally an hour of “social learning” is on the agenda for the twelve students.

Raindrops hit the windows, which are still reminiscent of the Christmas holidays with paper fir trees attached.

The playground of the special needs school in the Eschersheim district is deserted, the classes are packed to the brim.

It smells like wet satchels and felt-tip pens.

"That is a challenge"

"Does anyone know a number between zero and one hundred?" asks Kahsay.

She sits on a black leather chair at the desk, her gaze on the twelve students is loving, her posture self-confident.

Several arms shoot up, others lie lazily on the table.

Kahsay lowers his eyes to the second row.

"How about you, Henri?" Lost in thought, Henri wobbles in his chair.

Then he pauses, next to him an integration worker who helps him with the work.

"70," he replies firmly.

Some kids can write 70, some can't, Kahsay says as she removes magnets from the board after class.

Her dark, soft complexion highlights her fine facial features.

She tries to include all children in the classroom, although each student has their own needs.

"It's a challenge," says the teacher, remaining very calm for a moment.

"So at the beginning I always make sure that all children are activated with a general question of a task and can participate." This is followed by an individual work phase in which each child works on their own.

The children calculate, write, cut, ponder, doubt and then glue - and at different speeds.

"That's okay, too, because they shouldn't compare themselves with each other, but set their own goals and try to

Back in math class, Kahsay stands in front of the class and confronts the twelve students with the 70 Henri had chosen: “How many tens, how many ones does the number have?

Is 70 even or odd?” The teacher gets confused looks.

Some children decide to guess and call in, some give up.

Leon hums like a motor in the back row and plays with his water bottle in fascination.