Wiesenthal primary school is closed: parents protest violently!

Wiesenthal primary school is closed: parents protest violently!

In an emotional meeting, the district council in the Wartburg district decided to close the Wiesenthal state primary school at the end of the 2025/2026 school year. The decision was passed with 27 yes and 18 no votes, which has drastic consequences for the approximately 50 students affected. Starting next year, they will move to the Dermbach elementary school, which will also open a new educational facility that will go into operation in August 2025. Tagesschau reports that the decisive step is due to the lack of students; There are currently 58 children attending the Wiesenthal school, but only four are scheduled to enroll next year.

The discussion in the district council was characterized by heated debates, with around 60 parents and children leaving the meeting to protest against the closure. The primary school speaker Cornelia Hofmann also criticized the unfashionable teaching style and the small number of teachers - only three teachers work at the school. A suggestion from the Wiesenthal school management to also teach Dermbacher children in Wiesenthal was not approved. Instead, the new school district will include the communities of Dermbach, Wiesenthal and several districts.

Quality improvement promised

The decision in favor of closure comes in the context of a general discussion about the challenges in the German education system. The current edition of the school barometer from the Bosch Foundation shows that there is an urgent need for reforms not only in Wiesenthal, but in many schools. Bosch Foundation shows that 83 percent of students experience frequent classroom disruptions and there is a lack of constructive feedback from teachers. These issues can impact children’s academic well-being and mental health.

The study emphasizes the need for a new understanding of teaching that places greater focus on the learning process. Support and feedback from teachers is crucial for students to improve their performance. These findings shed further light on the discussions that took place in Wiesenthal.

A look back

The school closures during the corona pandemic also presented parents and students with enormous challenges. An essay by Lena Nusser and others in the collection “School during the Corona Pandemic” highlights the effects on learning at home during this time. Pedocs describes that students increasingly had to use digital learning opportunities, which was often accompanied by insecure parents' satisfaction with school support.

These experiences demonstrate the importance of schools adapting and becoming more innovative to meet student needs. The road to educational change is rocky, and the closure of the Wiesenthal elementary school is only part of a larger picture that is being painted in the German educational landscape.