The Taufkirchen municipal council has rejected the primary school in the forest’s request for lending computers for all pupils. “The unanimous opinion was that the effort would be far too great,” reports Mayor Ullrich Sander (non-party). According to him, the school management had turned to the town hall with the request to provide mobile leasing devices – such as tablets – for all children. According to the administration, leasing by the parents would be possible in principle and would cost 15 to 20 euros per month. However, the municipality would have to act as a contractual partner and not only take care of the administration including payment processing, but also the support of the devices. For the latter alone, according to city hall information, another position in IT or an external service provider would be required. The costs would be around 300,000 euros a year.
“The council did not want to tie this effort to the leg,” says Sander. He emphasizes that the community has so far called up all funds for the purchase of school equipment. “And when a new funding program is launched, we’ll do it all over again.” The primary school on Dorfstrasse currently has 30 tablets and twelve devices in PC rooms for 269 children; at the middle school there are 120 tablets and 48 computers for 215 pupils. The primary school in the forest, which is due to move next year, will have 120 tablets for 404 children. “Digital lessons are already possible,” announced the town hall, “and the student body can work digitally in the classroom in PC rooms and with mobile digital classrooms.”