Rottenburg high school graduates: graduation journey ends in painting campaign!

Rottenburg high school graduates: graduation journey ends in painting campaign!

Once upon a time at the Eugen-Bolz-Gymnasium in Rottenburg, the graduation of the class of 2025 didn't quite go according to plan. On Monday, the high school graduates will take on the challenge and begin the necessary damage control. With their spray chalk project, they've taken on quite a lot with 1,000 square meters of wall space that now needs to be painted over. The students receive support from a painting company who shows them how to lay out the painter's fleece and properly mask doors and light switches. Once you've crossed the line and now it's time to be busy during the summer holidays.

How the damage occurred is quickly explained. The students had originally worked with water-soluble spray chalk, which once dry turned out to be not as easy to remove as expected. This causes some discussion on social media, where sarcastic comments are common. But the school principal Andreas Greis takes the situation calmly and emphasizes that the high school graduates themselves are affected because the paint no longer came off. In fact, the majority of the 70 students are very committed and will be working on the walls for the next three days, while some others are on vacation.

A look at the finances reveals that the students have launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the renovation costs of 9,000 euros. So far, 1,010 euros have been raised, including a generous donation of 500 euros. This action not only shows their entrepreneurial spirit, but also a certain level of responsibility that should definitely be integrated into today's education. A sense of responsibility is a buzzword that is not only important in Rottenburg, but also appears again and again in discussions about innovative educational approaches, such as at the event “Future Skills – Future Education for the 21st Century” that took place a few years ago (more on this at bpb).

Responsibility at the center

In the context of the Abireich it becomes clear that it is about more than just painting over walls. Teacher Dirk Amon put it well: The situation offers a great opportunity to learn responsibility and find solutions to problems. And this is an issue that goes far beyond school boundaries. Today, skills such as systemic thinking, social skills and creative action are the focus of the educational landscape. These qualities are in demand when it comes to designing a sustainable education system that can meet the challenges of the 21st century.

In the case of the Rottenburg high school graduates, it is clear that the once creative idea of ​​celebrating graduation now also serves as a tool to teach young people important lessons in responsibility and teamwork. It remains exciting to see how the coming week will go for the class of 2025. The remaining school years of the Eugen-Bolz-Gymnasium are coming to an end, as the old building will be demolished in about a year. Perhaps this experience, as chaotic as it began, will become a lasting part of the students' memories. What remains are the questions, laughter and perhaps the inner realization: Even with willing creativity, the consequences should always be taken into account.

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