School social work in Uttenweiler: Strengthen children, relieve teachers!

School social work in Uttenweiler: Strengthen children, relieve teachers!

School social work is very important at the Abt-Ulrich-Blank primary school. Lilian Zache, who has been working as a school social worker for almost two years, has put together a wide range of support for students, parents and the school. Their commitment is supported by the “Lernen Fördern” association from Biberach and aims to promote the students’ personal development and strengthen their emotional stability. She knows the challenges that students face at school, at home or in their free time and offers support when things get tough. The bottom line is that it's about strengthening parents' parenting skills and creating a positive school climate. The mayor of Uttenweiler, Werner Binder, emphasizes that school social work has now become indispensable.

The service is in such demand that students felt an increased need to talk after a death in the community. This shows how important it is that helping hands and ears are available in such situations. The consultation hours are a valuable contact point for many children. Another highlight of Zache's work is the dispute resolution program that is currently being developed. Here children are trained as mediators and learn to actively listen and have conversations. Such programs not only promote the ability to deal with conflict, they can also help to create more harmonious coexistence in the long term.

New ways of dealing with conflict

An indispensable component of good school social work are effective conflict management methods. Binding rules for dealing with conflicts are of great importance in everyday school life. Instruments such as class council, conflict consultation hours and student dispute resolution ensure that students are able to resolve conflicts in a protected environment. The use of peer mediation, where older students help younger students with differences of opinion, has become established in many schools and is considered a proven means of preventing violence. At the Abt-Ulrich-Blank primary school, this is supported by the dispute mediation program, which started with the training of student mediators.

Teaching conflict resolution strategies is not just an impulsive highlight, but a well thought-out process. Students learn to first try to resolve conflicts independently, and if that doesn't work, the mediators help. Only when all else fails will a teacher be called in. The program enables students to take responsibility and learn from each other in difficult situations. And while some schools in Germany already have established mediation programs, it is also important to ensure that these initiatives are continually developed and professionally supported.

Financial basis of school social work

But how is the whole thing financed? The annual costs for school social work amount to around 43,500 euros. The municipality of Uttenweiler contributes almost 28,000 euros, while the state also contributes 8,350 euros and the district 7,500 euros. This shows that a strong foundation of financial support makes good school social work possible. The contract with the “Lernen Fördern” association can automatically be extended for another year unless terminated.

The feedback from students, parents and teachers is consistently positive, and the local council agrees that the continuation of school social work must be ensured. “Both the children and the teachers receive real help and support here,” summarizes Mayor Binder. This shows that a lot is being done here to create a positive school life and to overcome the challenges that students and teachers face.