"It's unbelievable": help for career entry at middle schools canceled - parents start petition

Created: 06/04/2022, 17:45

By: Charlotte Borst

They want the help to continue: Pupils from the Unterschleißheim middle school.

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The decision has been made: The state parliament has canceled career entry support for middle school students.

Parents from the district of Munich are angry about this decision and start a petition.

Unterschleißheim

– Yesterday, the state parliament abolished career entry support at Bavarian secondary schools.

For cost reasons: It was about almost 10 million euros, which would have secured another vintage.

For a year, the opposition has been struggling to keep the proven program so that 3,500 secondary school students in Bavaria continue to receive intensive support on their way from school to work.

However, the CSU and the Free Voters finally rejected the continuation.

"It's a heavy blow for students, teachers and parents," says Natascha Kohnen (SPD), "especially after two years of the pandemic." SPD, Greens and FDP have been fighting for the program for a year and yesterday tried to get career start support through to save their amendments, but failed because of the majority of CSU and free voters in the state parliament.

Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) and Nikolaus Kraus (FW) also voted against the continuation of the measure.

"It's unbelievable"

"They duck and don't have the courage to stand up for the program," says Natascha Kohnen (SPD): "You know very well that the measure is very successful and necessary." Claudia Köhler (Greens) is also outraged.

The budgetary spokeswoman for the Greens in the state parliament had requested a roll-call vote together with the FDP: “It is unbelievable.

Today it was time to show your colors.

Especially at a time when there is a shortage of skilled workers and trainees, we need programs that help young people to obtain a degree and take up a trainee position.

I am particularly disappointed with all the members of the FW and CSU, who always paid lip service on site to how important they found the program.

This stinginess with young people and their education will cost us dearly.”

In Unterschleißheim, the parents' council started an online petition that received over 1,000 signatures within five days, and many citizens continue to sign.

"No young person should be lost to the labor market."

Christian Beißner and Kathrin Ungar, the chairmen of the parents' council, appeal: "No young person should be lost for the labor market." So far, the employment agency and the Free State have each financed 50 percent of the measure, with the Free State using a subsidy from the European Social Fund, which is now abolished. which is why the measure was overturned.

Career start support

Since 2012, pupils in need of support at secondary schools in Bavaria who have learning difficulties or cannot get enough support from their parents have been given intensive support in their search for internships and an apprenticeship, and have been accompanied during the probationary period and given 1:1 personal support on their way into the world of work .

"The career entry support was a recipe for success," says Kathrin Ungar from the Parents' Council: "In ten years, she successfully placed 209 students in the job at the Unterschleißheim middle school alone." The schools were left alone with the situation, although the number of students was increasing and at the same time the shortage of teachers is becoming more serious.

The headmaster of the Haar Middle School regrets the decision.

"The project was so important," says Rector Markus Fauth: "Pupils aged 14, 15, 16 often have anything else on their mind than worrying about an apprenticeship.

The career start advisors are in the classes every day, make sure that the students find internships and reasonable training positions and look after them in the company until the probationary period ends.

We as teachers cannot afford that.”

In Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, six schoolchildren are currently receiving help in their search for a suitable training company.

"Hallelujah, if this help is lost, it would be a disaster," says Torsten Bergmühl, headmaster of the Erich Kästner elementary and middle school in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn: "The concept is wonderful." Also the IHK Vice President and SPD district chairman Florian Schardt thinks the decision was a mistake: "Children are looking for perspectives, companies are looking for skilled workers.

Career entry support serves both of these purposes.

Savings are being made in the completely wrong place here.”

More news from the district of Munich can be found here.