After the vhs merger: the adult education center program gives a foretaste of the new structure

It is the first semester program of the new vhs Oberland.

And despite the Corona requirements, the adult education centers in the Miesbach district offer a lot of courses.

District

- Thomas Mandl didn't want to take a very hard cut after all.

Since the entry of the new adult education center (vhs) Oberland had not yet been made in the register of associations when the new program booklet was published, the vhs Gmund-Dürnbach and the vhs Bayrischzell were also included in the 144-page brochure.

"We pretend we are one unit," says the head of the vhs Holzkirchen-Otterfing.

By the next semester at the latest, however, the two schools, which, as is well known, have decided against joining the joint structure, have to take care of the marketing of their courses themselves.

Gmund-Dürnbach and Bayrischzell will also no longer be represented on the new website, which the vhs Oberland plans to launch at the end of October.

New structure

"We are currently in a state of limbo," explains Mandl.

Nevertheless, the first steps in the realignment have already been taken.

For example, the thematic specialization of the individual vhs centers and their heads: Holzkirchen-Otterfing deals with IT and work as well as integration and basic education, Miesbach society and culture, Tegernsee valley health and Hausham-Schliersee languages.

"This makes it easier for everyone to pursue their interests and hand over other things," explains Mandel.

Since there will no longer be any unwanted duplication of courses in the future, there is also less risk that appointments with overlapping content will have to be canceled due to a lack of participants.

Online offer

The vhs Oberland also extends its feelers beyond the district.

Thanks to the nationwide network "vhs Cloud", participants from all over Germany can join the digital courses thanks to the strongly expanded online offering due to the corona.

Mandl emphasizes that this will not only improve the variety, but also the quality.

For example, by speakers who are particularly in demand.

But even their own lecturers have adapted quickly and flexibly to the new requirements due to the Corona requirements.

The vhs trained more than 200 course instructors for the new online offers.

“Naturally, a completely different methodology is required,” explains Mandl.

Courses in the field of political education or language are particularly well suited for digital lessons.

Face-to-face courses

The separate category for online and face-to-face lessons is apparently the biggest innovation in the program.

However, the on-site offers are clearly in the majority.

"The adult education center experience lives from the encounter - and it should stay that way," says Mandl.

Since there are many older people in the vhs target group, the response to short-term cancellations by the participants is very accommodating.

Thanks to the hygiene concept of the Bavarian Adult Education Association, which is adapted to the spatial requirements in the respective educational center, protection against infection is guaranteed without exception, assures Mandl.

financing

Despite the smaller group sizes due to the distance requirements, the vhs manager assumes that the vhs Oberland will be able to cover costs again after the total failure during the lockdown.

A rescue package from the Free State helped to bridge the worst time.

Now it is hoped that the subsidies from the municipalities will continue to flow despite the often tense situation there.

Main topics

The vhs adhered to the structure by topic, which had already replaced the usual sorting by location last semester.

"We received a lot of positive feedback here," says Mandl.

Some have discovered a course at another vhs center that they would not otherwise have come across.

This is precisely one of the strengths of the new structure.

In general, it was a great challenge to put together such an extensive program in Corona times.

The already numerous registrations in the first few days would reward the courage.

“You can tell that people need us,” says Mandl.

By the way, the main topic of the new vhs semester also conveys courage to set out: "Moving home ... moving home." The Corona crisis forced people to deal with new components of life - and thus helped them to get a new view of their home .

Mandl also sees the new vhs program as a mandate: "Let us see it as a pool of ideas for our passionate love of home."

The new program

is now available in many places.

All courses including registration are also available on the Internet at www.vhs-kreisverband-miesbach.de.

so called