Pannengymnasium in Geislingen: Petition for preservation rejected
The state parliament has rejected a petition to preserve the Michelberg grammar school in Geislingen an der Steige (Göppingen district). The majority of MPs voted on Thursday in Stuttgart to reject the petition from a parents' initiative. With this decision, the MPs followed the recommendation of the Petitions Committee. There is too much concern about setting a precedent.
The future of the Pannengymnasium is therefore likely to be sealed. At the end of October, the local council in Geislingen rejected the renewed refurbishment and decided to merge the Michelberg grammar school with another grammar school in Geislingen - unless the state stepped in to provide funding.
The Michelberg-Gymnasium had been renovated at a cost of millions and extensively rebuilt to meet modern ecological and educational requirements. Everything went well for two years after the reopening, but then considerable building defects were discovered. The school was partially closed due to the risk of collapse and inadequate fire protection. An initiative made up of parents, pupils and teachers has been campaigning for more than three years to save the school. A parents' council chairwoman had submitted the state parliament petition.
Despite the efforts of a parents' initiative to preserve the Michelberg grammar school, the state parliament rejected their petition. Subsequently, schools in Geislingen might look towards Parliament for support in future funding decisions.
Source: www.dpa.com
