Fight against school violence: Parents protest in Schwerin!

Fight against school violence: Parents protest in Schwerin!

An incident at the Bertolt Brecht School in Schwerin caused heated discussions among parents and the public. Daniel Muchow is horrified that his daughter (11) should go back to school after a brutal attack. In mid-May she was seriously injured by a classmate and her accomplice, and the scene was even filmed and uploaded to the Internet. The alleged perpetrators were initially suspended from school, but one of the two students can now return after her parents objected to the suspension. The Ministry of Education is now forced to explain the conflict, as Nordkurier reports.

The case not only raises questions about safety in schools, but also addresses the general increase in violence in schools in Germany. In places with socially disadvantaged areas, such as many schools in Lower Saxony, such incidents are increasing significantly. Teachers report fights, insults and even sexual violence. Serious mass brawls recently occurred at IGS Büssingweg in Hanover, showing that violence in schools is a widespread problem. The IGS Stöcken also suffers from disrespect and threats against the teaching staff, which raises calls for more support and resources, as ZDF notes.

Parental protest and uncertainty

Daniel Muchow doesn't plan to remain idle. Together with other affected parents, he wants to organize a public demonstration against violence and bullying in Schwerin. The aim is to make a statement with specially designed T-shirts. “It cannot be that the main perpetrator simply comes back to school while our children continue to have to deal with the fear,” says Muchow resolutely. A meeting with city officials has already been requested to demand compliance with the suspension. “It is worrying that the suspended girls are once again subjected to provocations on the way to school,” he added.

However, the Ministry of Education has already responded and plans to maintain schooling for the suspended students through home school assignments to ensure educational connection. If this does not work, a transfer to other schools could be considered. A measure that is also being discussed at other schools, because the topic of violence prevention has become more explosive in recent years.

The path to violence prevention

In many schools, teaching social skills and violence prevention are very important. Government and school authorities emphasize the importance of projects to improve the school climate. The goal is to make schools places where children can learn without fear and discrimination. However, the opposite often happens. Experiences of violence are not uncommon for many students, and sustainable solutions are still urgently needed. “More resources are needed to help teachers create a non-violent school atmosphere,” says a message from the Berlin-Brandenburg education server. Violence prevention initiatives are becoming increasingly important and for schools in difficult situations this is vital to their survival, as Berlin.de reports.

The current situation at the Bertolt Brecht School in Schwerin reflects how urgently a rethink is needed in the school sector. The protest by Daniel Muchow and other parents could be an important step in the right direction to combat violence in schools.