The headmaster "pretty dared to walk on the slippery slope" by participating in the CSU sweepstakes

Created: 12/31/2022, 2:00 p.m

By: Bernhard Jepsen

For the time being, the children at the St. Johann school have to do without a CSU toboggan if they want to use the toboggan run on Blomberg, for example.

© Hias Krinner

Also this year, the Peißenberger CSU raffled many prizes as part of their "Christkindl calendar" puzzle game, including ten plastic racing sleds.

A total of around 50 winners were drawn - with some being subsequently removed from the list.

Specifically, it was about four classes of the St. Johann elementary school.

Peißenberg

– The duck race in the summer and the “Christkindl calendar” in the Advent season: when it comes to leisure fun for families, the Peißenberg CSU is no slouch.

Mayor Frank Zellner and head of the CSU parliamentary group, Alexander Dobrindt, climb into the Stammerbach in person to send yellow rubber duckies on their journey, or put on fun pointed caps for the raffle for the calendar game.

Also this year, the CSU sent several municipal councils and local association members through the various districts.

CSU added an ice cream voucher

Through a social media platform, they reported up to December 20 with daily video messages asking which part of town they were in.

Puzzle fun for young and old, which offers educational benefits especially for children: "You noticed a lot about Peißenberg and learned a lot about the districts," explained Alexander Dobrindt at the raffle, which was also broadcast via social media.

The answer this year was "Let's go to the sledging fun on the Guggenberg".

In addition to numerous games and puzzles, ten sleds were distributed to the raffle winners.

However, the names of the winners of two racing bobs made people sit up and take notice.

Namely, class "2b" and class "1a" of the St. Johann elementary school were drawn.

"It's going to be a class sled.

The rector registered them,” explained Frank Zellner.

"Well, if a class gets a sled for everyone, then that's a good story," added Alexander Dobrindt.

But "for the shared experience" an ice cream voucher worth 50 euros had to be included.

In addition to the two "class sledges", the St. Johann elementary school also hit the "3b" and "2a" prizes in the raffle for the games - including a voucher for the ice cream parlour.

CSU competition is also image advertising

So far, so good: But aren't public schools obliged to remain politically neutral?

Advertising for political parties is prohibited by law in schools.

This is regulated in Bavaria in paragraph 16 of the teacher service regulations, which prohibits party-political activity in schools: "Any advertising for political parties, voter groups, citizens' initiatives or comparable associations and for their opinions and concerns is not permitted in the classroom and in the school area." And of course the CSU sweepstakes also aims at image advertising.

The day after the raffle, the local newspaper reached out to Matthias Igerl, the rector of the St. Johann elementary school.

In the school environment there had already been critical voices the evening before in relation to participation in the "CSU Christkindl Calendar".

“Normally we are not allowed to advertise for parties.

You're absolutely right," he said in a first phone call to this newspaper.

By participating, he "dared quite a bit on slippery ice".

He didn't have a good feeling when he filled it out.

The riddle, Igerl emphasized, was not solved by the classes, but by him personally.

He registered all nine grades of elementary school.

"That was a mistake on my part," stated Igerl.

He is not in any party and "politically completely inactive".

School waives the prizes

Political advertising was in no way the intention.

"The children don't know that the profits are from the CSU." Igerl announced that he would subsequently withdraw his participation in the "Christkindl calendar" and that he would forgo the two racing bobsleighs, games and ice cream vouchers.

The confirmation to the home newspaper then took place in a second conversation - after Igerl had telephoned the school authority and the CSU local association.

There was also a “subsequent notice” in a CSU post on the social media platform with the wording: “The St.-Johann elementary school has withdrawn its participation.

The prizes remain unassigned.”

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"I don't want to give the wrong impression," explained Igerl.

If people from the school environment were opposed to taking part in the competition, he backed down: "I don't want any trouble." It was really only about the children.

He wanted to send them the prizes - no more and no less.

In the second phone call, Igerl was no longer quite so self-critical.

He only spoke of a "supposed error".

A school may in principle take part in prize draws or sweepstakes.

But also in those organized by parties?

“The lawyers would have to clarify that.

I'm just the headmaster," says Igerl.