Because not enough registrations were received, there will be no 5th grade at the Mangfalltalschule in Valley in the school year 2021/22.
Parents are disappointed - and fear that the village school will continue to exist.
Valley
- The Mangfall Valley School is one of the last of its kind - born in 2006 out of political determination to counter the trend towards the closure of the sub-secondary schools close to home. The school was born with fears about the number of pupils, although in the meantime it even filled up to the final grade. It has been part of the Holzkirchen / Rottach-Egern school association since 2014. Today it only goes up to the 6th grade. And in the school year 2021/22, the middle school in Valley will only be attended by the 20 children of this one 6th grade: A 5th grade will not take place, making the smallest middle school in the district even smaller.
Only twelve registrations were received for the new school year: six from children from Valley, two from Weyarn, and four children from the association, who have previously attended the Valley Elementary School in the same building because it has an inclusion profile. Too little to form a class.
That was not to be expected, explains headmistress Anja Rettich.
However, it was observed across the board that fewer children were registered for secondary schools.
Possibly because in the difficult Corona school year 2020/21, in case of doubt, the better grade was chosen in order not to do the students an injustice with a hardly meaningful number of exams.
Whatever the case, a total of only four instead of five 5th grades could be formed in the Holzkirchen school association this year.
“The education authority cannot approve an additional small class because the funds are not available for it.
The hands of the association and the education authority are tied, ”says Rettich.
"This is painful for us, not only for the children affected and their parents, but for the whole school family."
"The school is a piece of infrastructure"
Maria Müller from the Parents' Council at Valley Primary School is concerned. The older of her two sons, currently one of a good 30 fourth graders in Valley, should actually have attended the fifth grade on site from September. Because the class does not take place, he has to go to Holzkirchen - to a dilapidated school that will be moved to containers during the new building, while beautiful classrooms in Valley are unused, says his mother, shaking her head. But she also worries about the small, family-run school overall: "Our school is popular with those who appreciate the village." The situation does not suit her in times of Corona, when it is better to use spatial equalization instead of concentration. Perhaps Holzkirchen could also outsource a class to Valley instead of to the container village and thus bridge the time,until more children are born again.
"The numbers speak against us," the Mitterdarchingerin is clear.
However, Müller hopes that a solution will still be found.
Maybe if the topic were discussed in the local council this Tuesday.
"The school is a piece of Valley infrastructure," says Müller.
A decision for a small class would mean a huge class elsewhere
“We have to create stable classes,” explains Jürgen Heiss, head of the school office. A guideline for this is 15 children. Because experience has shown that three or four children from Valley switched to business school after the 5th grade, there might be eight children left for the 6th grade in the school year after that. That is no longer in proportion. "Teacher hours are allocated per head of pupil, not per class," explains the head of the school office. If a tiny class were formed in Valley, there would be a huge class elsewhere with more than 30 students - unjust, says Heiß. “We have to keep an eye on the overall structures.” He does not see any alternatives. Combined classes, for example, are not permitted in middle school. And the outsourcing of a class from abroad, which moves back to the actual school after the 6th grade,is also not very effective. He sees the fact that the 5th grade is now canceled in Valley as a “tooth gap”, not yet as a threat to the existence.
Headmistress Radich doesn't see the end as yet either.
"If the number of pupils increases again, there will be a 5th grade again next year." The following years are stronger again.
“We hope that we will come with one class each over the two years.” And that the small village school will last, because: “Not every school is suitable for every child.
The school association continues to adhere to the diversity of schools. "
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