Page 109 - AIT0521_E-Paper

Jens Fischer

1968 geboren in Düsseldorf, gelernter Schreiner, studierter Diplom-Holz-
wirt seit Ende 2000 Redakteur Holz-Zentralblatt seit 2010 Elternvertre-
Foto: Jens Fischer ter Gotthard-Müller-Schule ab 2012 stv. / ab 2014 Elternbeiratsvorsitzen-
der ab 2013 stv. / ab 2018 Gesamtelternbeiratsvorsitzender Filderstadt

I Schule until, on 14th September 2020, it was possible to open the colourful new Grundriss Ebene -1 • Floor plan level -1
t was felt to be a very long way for the school community of Gotthard Müller
building of the elementary and the comprehensive school. Felt to be long but, from
the point of view of school politics and planners actually rather a short way. In Grundriss Ebene 0 • Floor plan level 0
2011, the, at the time, first green-red federal government nationwide set the course
for the introduction of comprehensive schools in Baden-Württemberg. For the
school year of 2012/2013, the first 41 schools of this new type were launched –
today, 319 of them exist. At the time, this was equal to a small revolution since, as
in Bavaria, in the Southwest as well for decades the classic system had been the
division of the school landscape into general-, secondary schools and grammar
schools. Which pupil ended up in which school depended on the performances,
meaning the grades, of the children and the then still obligatory recommendation
in the fourth grades of the elementary schools. This obligatory “recommendation”
was likewise abolished by the government, for the school year of 2012/2013.

Educational concept of the comprehensive school

But what is then supposedly revolutionary about this type of school after all?
Those who enter a comprehensive school sometimes are not sure whether there is
class or there is a break. The doors are open most of the time and the hallways are
flooded with children who, individually at tables, together in groups or, frontally Grundriss Ebene 1 • Floor plan level 1
look at the teacher. That is why it is also important that the interior hallways are
not escape routes but can be used for teaching. The comprehensive school not only
may but even must be attended by every pupil with every level of performance.
This means that children with social, cognitive or physical learning disadvantages
as well are welcome. All these children are taught – attention! – in one single class.
This is also the main distinction from the mostly numerically larger comprehensive
schools in other federal states which also teach all levels but separate them in the
courses. Educational contents are sometimes also communicated as input for all of
the pupils, but frequently the teacher builds small teams and talks on a subject
with them. In actual fact, in a comprehensive school a teacher less sees him- or her-
self as a teacher in the classic sense, rather as a learning coach who guides the
pupil to acquire the subject the matter and to work at his or her level. This has the
result that pupil A works in mathematics at a basic level, in German at an expan-
ded level and in geography at an intermediate level. Pupil A thus uses – figuratively
speaking – three different basket heights in basketball – he or she is allowed to play
out his or her strength and work on the weaknesses. And, in the ideal case, without
being subchallenged or overchallenged in any way. Since the school year of Querschnitt • Cross section
2016/2017, Gotthard Müller Schule has been an elementary and a comprehensive
school, resulting from an elementary and Werkrealschule (formerly secondary
school). Even before the start of the new school concept it was clear that, in the old
school building constructed in the early 1970s, the new kind of teaching could
hardly be possible. In addition, a canteen as well as rest- and creative rooms were
lacking for the all-day operation. A new building was needed which understands
the pedagogic concept and takes it up. The design by Behnisch Architekten presen-
ted in 2016 in the context of a competition more than met these requirements. With Längsschnitt • Longitudinal section
strong enthusiasm, the decision-makers chose the design from Stuttgart. And the
enthusiasm still lasts – even if corona prevented the total attractive space from
being used creatively. But, at some point, the virus will be gone but the school re-
mains. And it grows. Already now, one year after the opening, there is not enough
room. Many a carefully calculating city council had not counted on the success of
the concept – but we did.

AIT 5.2021 • 109