Resistance in Bocklemünd: Fight for the Max Ernst Comprehensive School!

Resistance in Bocklemünd: Fight for the Max Ernst Comprehensive School!

In Cologne-Bocklemünd it is bubbling: The planned expansion of the Max Ernst Comprehensive School (MEG) ensures heated discussions and resistance among the residents: inside. A petition on change.org brings the concerns of the citizens: inside, which consider the expansion as superfluous, costly and in an environmentally harmful manner. Above all, the loss of decades of trees on the school premises cause displeasure. These not only create a better microclimate, but also serve as a buffer for noise and exhaust gases.

The initiators of the petition demand that the old trees are not felled and instead a concept for protecting the forest is developed. In their view, the falling number of students also speak against the conversion. In February 2023 the MEG was not fully utilized; There were free places according to the registration process. Despite these arguments, the city of Cologne plans massive investments, including demolition and new construction of parts of the school.

extensive blueprints

The planned construction work not only includes the demolition of the dilapidated primary school, but also the no longer used gymnasium and the MEG manage building. New infrastructures are to be created, including a gym for the community primary school and a new building with a cafeteria for the MEG, which is to bring a capacity increase by 220 students. Container buildings are to be replaced by a permanent extension, with the aim that the interim buildings are completed in 2026. According to the plans, the construction work at the comprehensive school should be completed in the second quarter of 2029, but the challenge remains great.

like the City of Cologne , private general companies take over both the construction work and extensive planning. In times of the shortage of skilled workers and the tense situation in the construction sector, this is a refreshing strategy. The integration of private actors should be made more efficiently more efficient, which means that the construction design can also be better monitored.

investment backlog in the field of education

In the entire German education system there is a huge investment backlog. Current figures show that this achieved a record of 54.8 billion euros in 2024. The Architecture sheet reports of desolates with crumbling plaster and leak. More and more children and young people need space, which increases the pressure on the school buildings. The municipalities have slightly increasing investments, but cannot keep up with the rapidly increasing construction prices.

The need for action is unmistakable for those responsible. Dr. Fritzi Köhler Geib from the KfW emphasizes that bureaucratic hurdles have to be broken down in order to find faster and sustainable solutions. Modular educational buildings that can be realized within three months offer a promising approach to solve the problems. These modular buildings are not only flexible, but also sustainable because they are recyclable and can be adapted to different needs.

The situation at the Max Ernst Comprehensive School not only raises questions about the development of the educational location, but is also a sign of the serious challenges that Germany still has to cope with in the field of school infrastructure. The coming years will decide whether the measures taken can meet the diverse claims.