Criticism of the ability to graduate from work: municipalities warn of consequences

Criticism of the ability to graduate from work: municipalities warn of consequences

In Baden-Württemberg, there are violent clashes about the planned abolition of the Werkrealschule degrees. The municipalities express sharp criticism of this decision, which should come into force with the coming school year. Steffen Jäger, President of the Community Day, made it clear to the German Press Agency that the communities decidedly reject the plan of only offering the five-year secondary school leaving certificate at Werkrealschulen. In his view, the 224 Werkreal school locations for the country's education system are indispensable, both because of their pedagogical successes and because of their importance for school resources.

Jäger warns of the possible consequences of such a downgrading to pure secondary schools. The fear is that this could lead to a significant decline in registrations in these schools, which would result in the closure of many locations. These ensure that the number of registrations in the fifth grade is often not representative, since many students only later switch to workers' schools later. In many cases, workshop schools start in the fifth grade with one -class class, but have many students from the seventh grade at the latest and are then two.

last chance for the end

At the beginning of the school year on Monday, the last year at the Werkrealschulen starts, which has the opportunity to gain the Werkrealschule degree. Minister of Culture Theresa Schopper (Greens) announced that this degree will be offered for the last time in the school year 2030/2031 - this has the opportunity to repeat the conclusion later. However, the green-black coalition has decided to abolish the Werkrealschule degrees to simplify the school system in Baden-Württemberg.

Despite this simplification, there are concerns about the future of existing work -related schools. Jäger points out that these schools in rural areas are particularly dependent on support. The possibility of forming workshops with secondary schools or community schools is often not very practical in many rural areas due to the large distances. Search opportunities to secure the school locations are therefore very limited and could lead to further considerations about the school situation in the region.

The planned measure is in the light of the general efforts of the state government to modernize the education system and cushion downgrade risks for work-related schools. However, the resistance of the communities shows how complex the topic is and how discouraging the changes for many parents and teachers must feel. The challenges of the educational landscape in Baden-Württemberg will continue to exacerbate, while the discussion about the role of the workshop schools and its future continues.