This is a CTP of initiative: Ecovillage Schloss Tempelhof (Germany)
Tempelhof ecovillage initiative had a strong focus on alternative education from the beginning on. Some members are teachers and one person had found a free school before. Soon after settling in the rural area in Tempelhof a group started in 2011 to conceptualise a ‘reform village school’, a unique new school model.
Getting permission for a self-organised school is a long and difficult process in Germany. After two years of conceptualization and preparation and two rejections the ‘reform village school’ was approved by the state in Sept. 2013. This was seen as ‘well-deserved success’. The school is an elementary plus a working secondary school. Since then most of the Tempelhof inhabitants’ children go to this school plus a few from the surrounding villages.
Internally, the Tempelhof ecovillage strongly supported the village school initiative. Already in the early phase they had a strong focus on alternative education. One of the members had founded a free school before that was closed later. He brought all the materials to Tempelhof. Also the building was provided by the Tempelhof foundation. Tempelhof ecovillage had attracted more families with children to join over the years, last but not least because of solidarity support for food and housing for children.
Externally, to found a new school in Germany underlies strict laws. The permission to run a school is dependent on the permission of the education ministry. Without permission a school could not have been opened. Finally, they received permission, also because there is no other school in the area.
Another coproduction concerns the positive relation between young families coming to Tempelhof ecovillage and the school. Since the school has succeeded some families even moved to Schloss Tempelhof from other regions of Germany because of this school.
State rejection of school application in Sept. 2011
State rejection of school application in Sept. 2012
State approval of school application in Sept. 2013
Externally, it was a difficult process to get the school permission with two setbacks. It has been applied two times, for starting the school year in 2011 and 2012, which was not successful. Two years were lost. Parents had to send their children to far away existing schools.
Internally, there was a great enthusiasm about the new model of an ecovillage-integrated school. Only after the school is running for several years, different problems also with the working team occurred.
The school founding team worked very hard towards permission. They knew it would be hard and unpredictable. The approval was rejected two times. Still, the team was so convinced and increased their expertise.
In 2013 they really took the risk and opened the registration for the school without knowing, if permission would come. Everything was prepared and ready; they had more than 20 pupils registered. Interviewees said that maybe the power of self-convincing or self-fulfilling prophecy was involved: the school was approved in September 2013, just a week before the lessons and the new school year started.
This CTP can be described in three steps: September 2011 failure, September 2012 failure and September 2013 success. There is a lot of work, learning and revision from the school team in between the three years. The concept was improved, revised and the teachers of the team grew more into the expertise. They drew more professional teachers into the team. They have also learned to not giving up. In dealing with legal institutions, they followed the strategies of time, repetition and consistency.
Concerning the school systems what the pupils have learnt, needs more time to have solid results. So far, 2 pupils have graduated with best results in the state-wide standard school test.
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