Cases like the one in Offenburg cannot be prevented
Surveillance cameras and security checks like at the airport? Shooting training for teachers like in the USA? Even after the recent fatal shooting at a school in Offenburg, education unions are against additional security measures for schools in Baden-Württemberg. "We cannot prevent brutal cases like the one in Offenburg," said Gerhard Brand, state and national chairman of the Association for Education and Training (VBE), to the German Press Agency. "Schools have always been and still are just as safe as public life, the street and the playground."
Like the Education and Science Union (GEW), Brand praised steps such as the emergency plans drawn up by schools after the shooting rampage in Winnenden in 2009. "The plans have proven their worth, as the recent false alarms following reports of amok have shown," said GEW Managing Director Matthias Schneider.
"It is important to work as preventively as possible," said Brand. Social workers and school psychologists are important pillars for approaching children and young people and identifying problem cases at an early stage. Brand also warned against burdening schools with additional obligations. "More all-day lessons, refugee children need special care and we want to expand inclusive work," he said. "There is more every year, but the equipment, staff and expertise are not growing with it."
In view of the shortage of staff and the low student numbers for the important subjects, Brand does not expect a rapid improvement. "With a lot of good will, something will change in a decade. Before then, things could get worse," he said. "But that will only happen if we set the right course without deprofessionalizing staff too much." Although the VBE - like many others - is calling for more non-traditionally trained teachers to be employed, for example as lateral entrants, it always emphasizes that this should not be at the expense of the quality of education.
Despite the calls for enhanced security measures following the Offenburg incident, trade unions like the VBE remain opposed to additional measures in schools. They argue that schools are just as safe as public spaces, and additional obligations could burden schools with inadequate resources. Meanwhile, the trade unions emphasize the importance of preventive measures, such as employing social workers and school psychologists to identify and address problematic situations early on.
Source: www.dpa.com
