Peace March: Criticism of the Gymnasium

Created: 04/08/2022, 09:37

Call for Peace: A school community formed the Peace Sign.

© sample photo: mm

There was a discord before the peace train this Friday from the Realschule, Gymnasium and Mittelschule in Puchheim.

Puchheim – A high school student's father complained publicly that the freedom of expression of the demonstrating children and young people was being restricted.

The slogan "No war!" (no war) on a self-painted poster is said to have been pasted over by an art teacher.

In addition, consequences were threatened if texts against Russia or Putin were to appear.

The school management rejects the allegations, but also does not want to answer which possible statements would be undesirable at the demo.

"Anyone who wants to design a poster can do so," says director Monika Christoph.

She accuses the father of having turned to the public instead of seeking personal contact.

Her colleague Herbert Glauz, head of the neighboring Realschule, speaks of more than 4,000 fathers and mothers at the three schools, from whom no such feedback came as from the father, who remained anonymous.

However, both emphasize that the protest march is actually about something - peace - and not about taking a stand against anyone.

Not even against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We don't point our fingers at anyone and say 'you're the bad guy'," says Glauz.

Christoph speaks of wanting to “ultimately adopt a neutral position”, although of course they are fully aware that the Russian head of state is the aggressor: “The only perspective we want to take is how important peace is. "

(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular FFB newsletter.)

The headmasters do not believe that the Ukraine war has caused discord right down to the school families or that this is what is to be feared.

There are no signs of that, says Christoph, whose grammar school also includes some Russian students.

But it is also about “not letting conflicts arise in the first place”.

Colleague Glauz, who has classes with Russian and Ukrainian young people, still thinks his students are “relatively apolitical” at their age.

But they are also trying to prevent aggressive moods against Russia or Russians.

Mayor Norbert Seidl, who has taken on the patronage of the peace train, thinks that a secondary school should definitely take a political position: "Wanting to achieve peace without naming those who bring discord is not being honest." You also have to allowed to say what one is against.

About 60 Russian citizens live in Puchheim.

Even before the war broke out, 73 Ukrainians were resident.

Since then, another 105 of their compatriots have found refuge in the city.

(op)

You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.