A central location for two middle schools: Third mayor fears “teacher savings model”

Created: 07/01/2022, 12:00 p.m

By: Carl Christian Eick

In the next school year, the fifth graders of the Waldram middle school will also be taught on Hammerschmiedweg in the center of Wolfratshausen.

This is the decision of the City Council's Culture Committee.

© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss/Archive

After violent parental protests in Wolfratshausen, the head of the town hall, rector and school board explain the decision to move the fifth middle school class.

Wolfratshausen – The head of the town hall Klaus Heilinglechner, the rectors Frank Schwesig and Josef Märkl, the managing director of the children and youth development association in Wolfratshausen, Fritz Meixner, and the school inspector Ute Hübner all agreed on one point: “The topic is complex.” They explained for a good hour (apart from Märkl for understandable reasons) the city council on Tuesday in the Loisachhalle why it makes sense for the future fifth class of the Waldram middle school to move to the middle school location on Hammerschmiedweg in the city center in September.

Wolfratshausen: Central location for two middle schools: Third mayor fears “teacher savings model”

Märkl, headmaster in Waldram, didn't turn his heart into a den of murderers.

It is "painful when you lose a class" for many reasons.

But the rector conceded, "It's difficult to find a fair way that meets all individual needs."

The decision of the city council's culture committee that the future fifth graders from Waldram would be taught near the Loisach in the next school year had caused many parents to protest.

As reported, Mayor Heilinglechner has around 1,200 signatures as an expression of the protest.

But the city council meeting brought little new knowledge.

Heilinglechner, headmaster Schwesig - in personal union coordinator of the middle school network Isar-Loisach with Wolfratshausen, Geretsried, Königsdorf and Dietramszell - as well as Meixner repeated their arguments and defended the decision to bring both fifth middle school classes together under one roof on Hammerschmiedweg in a timely manner.

Wolfratshausen: Headmaster Schwesig puts “the latest figures” on the table

According to Schwesig, one of the main reasons is that the students would have significantly more options with a view to pre-employment courses.

The network coordinator presented the “latest figures” on Tuesday: 23 children are currently registered for the fifth grade at the Waldram middle school – 7 from Wolfratshausen, 10 from the Farchet district and 6 from the Münsing community.

Two dozen students are registered at the Hammersmith School – in addition to 22 from Wolfratshausen, one each from Icking and Höhenrain.

"There have never been so few middle school students," Schwesig stated, looking at his place of work.

He explained that, according to the guideline, classes had to be divided from 30 children – and pointed out that even in the higher grades (one class in Waldram, two classes on Hammerschmiedweg), the total number of pupils never exceeded 60.

School inspector Hüber pointed out: "Actually, the number of pupils in the 6th to 9th grades does not really show a three-way system." In addition, "the tendency is increasingly towards Realschule and Gymnasium".

Against this background, it is correct that Schwesig wants to maintain the attractiveness of the secondary school “with a central location” – keyword choice.

Third mayor Heinloth fears "teacher savings model"

Another reason for the two-train system in the city center is the teacher hours.

“We are assigned teachers for each student,” said Hübner.

If there are many small classes in the group, the larger classes suffer.

When asked by the third mayor, Annette Heinloth (Greens), the school board member assured that the decided two-tier system on Hammerschmiedweg was not a "teacher savings model".

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The Waldram headmaster reminded the city council on Tuesday evening of the founding of the middle school association in 2010 with the aim of "keeping the small schools alive".

Märkl spoke of an "ambivalence in the assessment of small classes".

From a pedagogical point of view they are a plus, on the other hand "they cost a lot of teacher hours".

The city council did not vehemently object to the decision of the culture committee that the future fifth graders from Waldram should go to school together with the middle school students from Wolfratshauser in the city centre.

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However, Ulrike Krischke (BVW) suggested leaving everything as it was for the time being – and only packing the moving boxes after sixth grade in Waldram.

That means only driving in two trains with the seventh class on Hammerschmiedweg.

A suggestion that Heinloth and Dr.

Manfred Fleischer (Wolfratshauser List) liked it.

You have to know: "The city council only decides on the location", the middle school association headed by Schwesig on class formation, explained Mayor Heilinglechner.

"If the city council wants to discuss the issue again," then...

He understands the emotionality of the parents, said the head of the town hall.

However, factual arguments alone were decisive for the decision of the technical committee.

In his eyes, "the children would have the biggest disadvantage" if both fifth grades were not taught at Hammerschmiedweg from September.

"But if the city council wants to discuss this again," said Heilinglechner, he would not resist putting the topic back on the agenda.

(cce)

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