More Schools and Kindergartens for the City

Providing the best possible conditions for public schools takes top priority in Munich, and this commitment has led to an unprecedented school construction initiative in Germany. Oberbürgermeister Dieter Reiter emphasized this during the inauguration ceremony of the new primary school on Infanteriestraße, where the children presented him with colorful roses.

Over the past few weeks, inauguration celebrations have taken place for the primary schools on Haimhauserstraße, Waldmeisterstraße, Oberföhringer Straße, and Hermine-von-Parish-Straße, with the Von-der-Pfordten-Straße primary school scheduled for tomorrow.

These projects are all part of the city's School Construction Offensive. Since its launch in 2016, the initiative has introduced four programs encompassing a total of 103 school construction projects. These efforts will result in approximately 61,000 school places across 131 schools, 214 daycare groups, 201 sports halls, and 12 swimming pool units, with a combined investment of 7.84 billion euros.

Out of the 100+ school projects, around 40 are already operational, and 25 more are under construction. For the upcoming school year, several significant completions are anticipated, including the Grund- und Mittelschule at Strehleranger 4 in Neuperlach Nord, the first phase of the renovation and expansion of Rupprecht-Gymnasium in Neuhausen, as well as the Aidenbachstraße primary school and the Gymnasium Gmunder Straße in Obersendling.

Since 2011, the Kindergarten Construction Program has also been instrumental in providing 8,832 childcare places across 96 projects comprising 463 daycare groups. Of these, 72 have been successfully completed, and ten more are currently in progress, with a total budget of 520 million euros. An additional ten projects are currently in the planning stage and will be presented to the City Council in the coming year.

Expressing her satisfaction, Baureferentin Dr.-Ing. Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer said, "Germany's largest school and kindergarten construction program is running at full speed. All those involved can be proud of the many projects successfully implemented so far."

But the momentum does not stop there. The administration will present the 5th School Construction Program to the City Council this autumn, encompassing seven new projects at six locations:

- A new full-day, 4-class primary school with a triple sports hall in Eggarten will be built to meet the projected educational needs of the Eggarten-Siedlung development.
- To alleviate the pressures on the Schulzentrum at Pfarrer-Grimm-Straße, a 5-class Realschule with a triple sports hall and a childcare facility will be established at the new Prof.-Eichmann-Straße location.
- A 6-class Gymnasium with a 4-fold sports and swimming hall will be developed to meet the gymnasium demands in Munich West and the neighborhood's needs at Am Dreilingsweg.
- The Peslmüllerstraße school site, the first Munich Schulzentrum from the 1970s, will undergo extensive renovation and expansion for both the primary and secondary schools, with consideration for heritage preservation.
- The Theodolinden-Gymnasium at Am Staudengarten 2 will be expanded with a new building to accommodate G9 capacities.
- An expansion will be carried out to meet the increased needs of the Grundschule Knappertsbuschstraße/Ruth-Drexel-Straße.

Demand-Oriented and Forward-Thinking

When constructing schools and kindergartens, the city's focus lies on enhancing all-day education and opening up schoolyards. Additionally, emphasis is placed on climate protection and sustainability.

Baureferentin Dr.-Ing. Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer said, "We aim to set benchmarks in climate protection and sustainability for our buildings and school facilities. This includes increased use of timber construction, recycling concepts for building materials, photovoltaic installations, extensive green spaces, energy-efficient LED lighting, and natural design of school playgrounds."

To accommodate the greater space required for all-day care in primary schools, all complete new buildings are designed accordingly, as seen in the case of the Grundschule Oberföhringer Straße. In the case of the Grundschule Pfanzeltplatz, the existing school has been renovated and complemented with a new building, making it Munich's first school with cooperative all-day education, where teaching and support staff collaborate to provide education and care until 6 PM.

Another focus is on opening up schoolyards to create additional sports and play areas for children and adolescents in the densely populated city. Increasing numbers of schoolyards and sports facilities are now accessible beyond school hours. They remain open in the afternoons, on weekends, and during school holidays, allowing children and teenagers to engage in play and sports, even if they do not attend the respective school. A network of dedicated partners, such as Spiellandschaft Stadt, MobilSpiel, and FreizeitSport der Stadt, makes the "Vom Schulhof zum Spielhof" (From Schoolyard to Playground) project possible and supports schools in its realization.