Brandenburg Education Minister Gordon Hoffmann urges students not to give up, citing his own career detour

Encouragement for the new school year

As the new school year begins in Brandenburg, the state education minister advised pupils to maintain confidence in their abilities even during difficult periods. Gordon Hoffmann, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), addressed students through the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. He noted that pupils often encounter phases where academic performance declines, but urged them not to abandon their goals. Hoffmann stated that the educational framework in Germany offers multiple opportunities to correct course, pointing out that individuals can receive a second, third, or fourth chance to steer their development in the right direction. He emphasized that students must demonstrate their own willingness to take action and invest effort into their studies if they wish to benefit from these institutional pathways.

Even if you are in a phase where things are not going well: Do not give up, stick with it! And do not give up hope.

Personal setbacks and vocational dropout

Hoffmann based his appeal on his own personal and academic history, having experienced a turbulent period as a student. The Prignitz native previously acknowledged that he was lazy during his secondary education and barely managed to pass his tenth-grade graduation. His poor academic performance brought him close to becoming a young person without any school leaving qualification. Following his schooling, Hoffmann entered vocational training to qualify as a central heating and ventilation builder. Despite progressing through the practical curriculum, he chose to abandon the apprenticeship shortly before taking his final professional examinations.

I advise every student to actually make an effort. That is what I did not do back then, and I think it was not a given that I managed to turn things around.

Second-chance education and political career

After walking away from his technical apprenticeship, Hoffmann rebuilt his professional trajectory through Germany's second-chance education system. He enrolled in a specialised technical college programme focusing on social pedagogy. Building on those studies, he later completed a university degree in social work. Hoffmann subsequently entered public service and political life, securing election as a member of the Brandenburg state parliament in 2009. Following his legislative tenure, he was appointed as Brandenburg's Education Minister earlier this year.

Reflections on educational detours

Looking back on his career, Hoffmann described the route he followed as a considerable detour that required unnecessary hardship. He explained that while the education system allows people to redirect their lives, exerting effort early on prevents the need for such complicated journeys. Hoffmann stated that succeeding despite earlier failures was far from guaranteed in his own case. He urged students returning from the summer break to apply themselves from the beginning of the academic term rather than relying on later remedies.

It was a considerable detour that I took. In retrospect, I would have very much liked to have spared myself that.