Refugees at locations in Dresden and Leipzig shared what happened to them during state-funded job coaching. One coach looked a client in the eye and asked: "Why are you here instead of fighting Putin on the front line?" That isn't just deeply abusive and out of line; it completely violates the mandate of public adult education.
But the core problem is structural: the clients have zero feedback channels. They are intimidated, fear the Jobcenter, and often lack the German language skills to report it. When I brought this issue up with staff members, they were shocked, but admitted they were completely powerless to intervene. The system is so deeply entrenched that these incidents aren't rare exceptions—they are practically the norm. People inside these rigid structures collect public funding, cling to outdated mindsets, and face no accountability. Real change will only happen when we construct common-good alternatives that actively challenge these broken institutions.
