Digitization in schools is necessary, Corona makes that abundantly clear.
The Wolfratshausen Entrepreneurs' Association has now made a major contribution.
Wolfratshausen
- The corona pandemic relentlessly exposed the failings in the education system.
Schools without an Internet connection, too few devices for teachers, hardly any pads or laptops for students - not to mention Mebis, the Internet portal of the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, which has come under massive criticism.
Against this background, economic aid is doing well, as the rector of the primary and secondary school on Hammerschmiedweg, Frank Schwesig, was allowed to receive on Tuesday: 46 iPads for the school location on Hammerschmiedweg, plus 61 laptops for the secondary school location in Waldram.
The entrepreneurs' association for the Wolfratshausen Economic Area (UWW) put 15,000 euros on the table for the purchase.
Due to the corona pandemic, there have been no public events since the beginning of last year, "that means we hardly have any expenses," says UWW chairman Christian von Stülpnagel.
Since the entrepreneurs' association founded in 1974, which has around 130 members, is not a savings association, a few weeks ago he contacted Mayor Klaus Heilinglechner, where the UWW could do good.
Heilinglechner did not hesitate long and arranged the deal with the elementary and middle school.
Before that, the town hall chief brought the government of Upper Bavaria on board, so that the bottom line was that more than 100 tablets and laptops could be bought.
The end device market is currently empty
“It went smoothly,” the mayor notes in retrospect.
Last year, the municipality - it is the so-called material expense manager for elementary and secondary schools - applied for a subsidy from the Free State's Digital Pact 2 and received it promptly.
“We have already been able to purchase 70 iPads,” says Schwesig, the headmaster of the school.
The new end devices are all equipped with special software and, according to the Rector, are used from the first grade.
The simple rules of the game are defined in loan agreements that allow students to use the devices at home.
A special configuration even makes it possible for “a complete learner to speak” to use the medium from the very first moment, reports Rector Schwesig.
The fact that the digitization of schools is progressing at a snail's pace is not least due to the extremely high demand, explains City Hall Chief Heilinglechner using the example of the 70 iPads that were delivered last year: "Of course we wanted to have them as quickly as possible" the mayor, but the device market was swept empty.
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Headmaster Schwesig will integrate the new devices, which are provided with an extremely robust plastic cover, into the media concept that has been practiced at primary and secondary schools for some time.
The headmaster was able to dispel the concern of Stülpnagels that the good old handwriting would have to withdraw more and more: The digital lessons with pads and laptops are "only an addition".
Without any self-interest, the UWW did not, of course, dig so deep into the club's coffers, the chairman admitted with a wink.
Every company is “dependent on well-trained young people”, and the foundation stone for this is laid in primary schools.