The initiators of the "Active School" in Penzberg encounter resistance from the government of Upper Bavaria - because deadlines are said to have been missed. The initiators have now given the government a deadline of June 16. If it passes, they are likely to file an "action for failure to act".
Penzberg - Actually, the initiators had everything together to start an "active school" in Penzberg in September: an educational concept, 17 children for the mixed-class class, two teachers and an educator, a rental option for a building "Am alten Bahnhof “, A financial plan and a loan option. At the end of March they had sent everything to Munich, the concept even on February 2 to get the OK from the government of Upper Bavaria.
Government of Upper Bavaria: school founders missed deadlines
However, the authority did not give the green light. The team around Yvonne Schmerbeck and Juliane Malik therefore hired a lawyer. The chances are minimal, however, that the government will switch in the short term and that something will happen this year. Hopes are set to start school in September 2021.
Active school: Initiators in turn set a deadline for the government
What irritates the initiators is the way the government responded to the school foundation application. At the beginning of April, the answer came from Munich that not all documents were available and the necessary application form had not been used, explains Yvonne Schmerbeck. But they didn't know anything about such a form, and it couldn't be found on the government's website either, she says. At least the government sent the form in their response - the team filled it out and sent it back with all the documents. The response from the government was then, according to Schmerbeck, that the application was submitted too late, that there was no time to look at it and that the concept was missing. That, says the co-initiator, had already been sent on February 2. "This shows how the tactics of the government of Upper Bavaria are," she concluded. "She tries to prevent it." The school team also tried it via the President of the Province, Maria Els, also without success. There the Penzbergers were told that there was no particular pedagogical interest in an "active school" because there were already Montessori and Waldorf schools and the regular schools had developed further.
Active school: lawyer advises to sue in court
The school initiators therefore hired a lawyer, Martin Sträßer has experience with it. He also represented those initiators who wanted to set up such a school with the same concept in Munich and Petershausen (they have been there since 2009). He advised to apply for the "reinstatement to the previous status". That means translated: The documents should be accepted and processed because the deadline was neglected without fault. The initiators set the government a deadline for this until June 16.
However, their hope is low that a positive answer will come from Munich by then. That means: "We must complain," said Schmerbeck. Attorney Sträßer had brought an action for failure to act. It is about the special pedagogical interest in the concept of the "active school". "People are trying to brush us off with the argument that each concept must be unique." But this only applies to the area, the Penzberg initiators say, not for all of Germany. Schmerbeck cannot understand the argument that regular schools are so similar. "This is a completely different pedagogy."
School founders hope at least for September 2021 - looking for a new house
If the school founding team has to take the lawsuit, "we can definitely not open this year," says Schmerbeck. Which leads to problems. The two teachers, she hopes, would stay with the line. But the building "Am alten Bahnhof" (formerly the Montessori school was located there) will hardly be vacant anymore. "We have to go looking again," she says. There would also be enough child registrations for September 2021.
Another question is when a court appointment is scheduled. For the school founders, it would be important if negotiations took place this year. If you win, you could start with information events in January. Parents would have clarity quickly, says Schmerbeck. Parents can already register their children for the school year 2021/22 on the school founders' website. Other supporters would also be needed, she explains, be it in the search for a building and in further preparation, but also as a donor. "Such a process," she says, "is not for nothing."
Non-binding registrations for the school year 2021/22 are possible on the Internet at "www.aktiv-schule-penzberg.de". Questions also via email to “juliane. aktiveschule @ gmx “.
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