Foundation stone laid for modern special needs school in Herzberg – support for everyone!

Foundation stone laid for modern special needs school in Herzberg – support for everyone!

The foundation stone for the expansion of the Albert Schweitzer School was laid in Herzberg (Elster) on July 3, 2023. This project is part of a comprehensive plan to improve learning conditions for students in need of support. The Elbe-Elster district has decided to finance the new building entirely with its own funds, with the total costs estimated at around 5.7 million euros. The barrier-free new building is scheduled to be completed by 2027 and will enable all ten classes to be taught at a central location.

The building includes several innovative rooms, including seven new classrooms with integrated kitchenettes, a Snoezel room for relaxation and sensory perception and a specialist room for business-work-technology (WAT). An elevator ensures barrier-free access, while a so-called time-out room is intended to contribute to emotional regulation. In addition, three digital boards will be installed that can be used for modern, media-educational learning. This extensive equipment meets the latest ecological standards with a heat pump, decentralized ventilation systems and a planned photovoltaic system, which makes the building particularly future-oriented.

Financing and construction processing

The planning of the project is taken over by the engineering office judges in Schönewalde and AHS in Falkenberg, while the construction work was placed in the hands of Hofmann Bau from Herzberg, which implement the third construction phase. In addition, the first construction phase, a parking lot replacement building with 74 parking spaces, is realized by Ecknig Bau GmbH from Beiersdorf. 63 pupils between the ages of 6 and 18 are currently being looked after at the Albert Schweitzer School, 28 of which are housed at a separate location.

The need for this expansion is also underpinned by the current development of the inclusive school system in Germany. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany is still on the way to fully meeting the goals of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The exclusion rate was 4.8% in 2008/09 and only fell slightly to 4.2% by 2022/23. These figures show that in many federal states there are still two separate school systems: general schools and special schools, which once again underlines the importance of such projects.

A step in the right direction

With this new extension, the Albert Schweitzer School is well on the way to overcoming the existing challenges and offering the students an improved learning environment that responds to their individual needs. The structural measures are not only necessary, but also forward-looking in order to meet the requirements of the modern education system. In the future, such initiatives should continue to pave the way to an inclusive school system.

For further details about the construction and its importance can be read on Niederlausitz Current and LR online as well as on the website of the Bertelsmann Foundation.