40 years of Margarete-Steiff-School: Inclusion is celebrated!

40 years of Margarete-Steiff-School: Inclusion is celebrated!

in Frankfurt am Main, the next few weeks will be all about inclusion. The Margarete Steiff School, a private educational institution with primary and special school classes, celebrates its 40th anniversary in mid-June 2025. What is a reason to celebrate for the headmistress Ilka and her multi -professional team is an important time to draw attention to the challenges and success of inclusive education in Germany. The school offers space for 176 students, 22 of whom are taught, including five children with impairments. This makes the Margarete Steiff School the only inclusive school in Frankfurt.

The roots of this institution go back to the kindergarten of the Protestant French-reformed community and the school opened its doors on April 23, 1985 as the first integrative school in Frankfurt. In recent years, awareness of the need for an inclusive school landscape has grown. According to a study by the Berlin Science Center for Social Research, however, it becomes clear that the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities are systematically violated in several German federal states. Countries such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in particular show little progress in the implementation in terms of educational opportunities for children with impairments reports the German school portal .

The role of the Margarete Steiff School

The Margarete Steiff School has entirely committed itself to the motto "strengths strengths and weaknesses". The school receives support from the Evangelical Regional Association of Frankfurt and Offenbach as well as from the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, the city of Frankfurt and the Hessian Ministry of Culture. Despite these positive approaches, there are still challenges in inclusive education that range from insufficient funding to excessive allocations to a lack of resources. Hans Wocken's study shows that despite some model regions, there are no uniform progress. In his investigations, the exclusion rates in many municipalities have even increased.

For the Margarete Steiff School itself, this means to regularly check your own resources and to devote yourself to innovative pedagogical concepts. An important aspect is the socially inclusive with each other, which is promoted by Christian values. In order to support the pupils as best as possible, the school relies on a practical training of teachers and high commitment to multi -professional teams. This is particularly crucial, because education must be high quality to ensure equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of social or economic backgrounds. The discussion about the dissolution or maintenance of special schools still keeps education policy in Germany strong. After all, international studies show that countries with joint school education up to the 10th grade can achieve better educational results So the Federal Center for Political Education .

outlook on the open day

On June 14, 2025, the Margarete Steiff School invites you to the open house, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Here, visitors can expect a colorful program with hands -on offers for children and presentations that present the work of the school alive. For many parents and interested parties, this is an excellent opportunity to find out about the inclusive school form and the associated advantages. Self-cooked meals in organic quality round off the school's offer and show that healthy eating is also part of everyday school life.

The Margarete Steiff School is not only a place of learning, but also a pioneer in the implementation of inclusion-a fact that is celebrated, but also stimulates thinking about developments in the German educational landscape.