- Heuer still needs to talk about school reform
CDU parliamentary group leader Guido Heuer will not deviate from the principle of "short legs, short ways" in a possible school reform in Saxony-Anhalt. "Travel times must remain limited," Heuer said after a retreat with his faction. This is particularly important for rural areas such as the Altmark, Mansfeld-South Harz, or the Harz region. Heuer announced that the law will not leave the state parliament in its current form.
The most contentious issue is the minimum number of students. A draft from the Ministry of Education proposes increasing this number to 25 for first classes in primary schools and classes in secondary schools. For primary and secondary schools outside of major and upper centers, the minimum number of students should be 20. This is intended to ensure the sustainability of the school system in light of demographic developments in Saxony-Anhalt.
A school union can have several locations
The Ministry of Education points out that interest groups are currently being heard on this matter. After the cabinet has dealt with it again, the draft will go to parliament. There will also be exceptions, it was said.
A school whose existence is no longer assured according to the school development planning can merge with a larger school. Such a school union consists of a main location and up to three satellite locations. When such a reform could come into effect is still open.
The opposition in the state parliament still fears a weakening of rural areas. Many schools would be threatened with closure under such a reform, it was recently said. Heuer also has further discussion needs. "That doesn't mean these numbers will remain in the law as they are," he said. "We still want to discuss this comprehensively. There will be a proposal from our education working group in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the near future."
The proposed changes in the school reform could potentially impact rural areas like the Altmark and Harz region, as travel times to schools might be impacted with the implementation of stricter minimum student requirements. Despite concerns from the opposition, CDU parliamentary group leader Guido Heuer is open to further discussions on this matter, aiming to strike a balance between sustainability and the needs of rural areas.
