Stone school is progressing: children with and without disabilities could soon be taught together

Created: 07/12/2022, 17:00

By: Manuel Eser

The Mittelschule am Steinpark would like to break new ground in inclusion.

At the beginning of the new school year, she wants to offer a tandem class in which children with and without disabilities are taught together by two teachers.

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The middle school at Steinpark could become a pioneer when it comes to inclusion.

She wants to set up a tandem class for children with and without disabilities.

Freising

– In tandem classes, children with and without disabilities are taught together by two teachers.

To date, this inclusive offer has only been offered twice in Upper Bavaria.

A third school could now be added in Freising – if everyone participates.

The new stone school has set itself the goal of making this offer possible from next autumn.

"It is intended to set up a class with a permanent teacher tandem in grade 5 for the coming school year 2022/23, if the requirements are met and the permits can be granted," said school director Sigrid Heck to the FT.

Tandem classes are still rare in Upper Bavaria

Classes with fixed teacher tandems are the most far-reaching of several models of inclusion in schools.

A general school teacher and a special education teacher teach together in a class group consisting of girls and boys with and without special educational needs.

To date, there has only been one tandem class in the Freising district: at the St. Korbinian elementary school.

"The establishment of a tandem class at a middle school would be a milestone and would make Freising a pioneer in terms of inclusion," emphasizes Irmgard Hierhager from the parents' initiative FINI, which has been campaigning for more inclusion in Bavarian schools for several years.

Seven children are on the needs list

Because for children who are currently attending the primary school tandem class in St. Korbinian, there is currently no possibility of continuing the model when transitioning to middle school.

Children with disabilities then have to be – forced – either in a special education facility or in single inclusion.

That means they get a tutor.

There is a need for a tandem class, as Hierhager reports: "We have seven children with disabilities who would like to continue attending a tandem class in the fifth grade."

Hierhager emphasized that she could well imagine that there were other children in the Freising district who were interested in attending a tandem class.

"It is important for parents that there are various offers to find the best solution for their own child."

In order to be able to realize the tandem class, the authorities also have to play their part.

"The decision is made in a staged process," says Sigrid Heck.

The school administration decides which pupils are admitted to a special class.

The corresponding application is then checked by the school authority and must finally be approved by the government of Upper Bavaria.

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Parents are to be informed in January

The parents of the stone schools should also be brought on board on the way to the tandem class.

As Rector Simon Pelczer announced, an information evening is planned for January.

The new school already has experience with inclusion.

The Neustift middle school, which merged with the Paul Gerhardt middle school to form the Steinpark middle school, already had the inclusion profile in its portfolio thanks to a corresponding pedagogical concept.

The new Steinschulen started immediately in September with one partner class each in the first and fifth grade.

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

One class from the support center of the Lebenshilfe and one class from the Steinschulen work together.

The teachers agree on the type and scope of the joint lessons.

The difference to the tandem class is that the partner classes come together under one roof, but each have their own classrooms and teachers and only come together occasionally.