After Rampage: Graz School to be Sensitively Redesigned

At BORG Dreierschützengasse, following the shooting incident in early June, the next steps for the structural and organizational redesign of the building have been fixed. The steering group for preparing the school start dealt with the spatial situation of the school at the beginning of the week. The characteristic of the building is to be largely preserved at the request of the school community.

School Building Characteristics to Remain

The school start in the fall will take place in the nearby and modernly equipped AVL building behind the Helmut-List-Halle due to the redesign of the school building. This offers enough space and will be adapted over the summer until the school building is ready for occupancy.

The renovation and structural redesign will be carried out with the greatest possible sensitivity and with the involvement of school partners, it was announced in a release on Tuesday. Numerous structural variants - including a complete reconstruction - were examined and discussed in the consultations. In the process, the perspectives of the school partners - student representatives, parent representatives, teachers, school psychology, school management, education directorate, and education ministry - were heard. The solution should meet both the functional and emotional needs of the school community, it was said.

The comprehensive renovation and partial redesign of the building should be done sensitively and create space for pedagogical development without giving up the identity of the school building. In addition to the interior design, innovations in the exterior design and green space are also being considered.

Color Concept with Artist Involvement

A central element of the redesign is a color concept that takes artistic and creative aspects into account. The artistic direction is to be taken over by a renowned artist. Together with students, teachers from the artistic-creative field, and the architect, this person is to create a positive, identity-forming atmosphere of well-being.

"The BORG Dreierschützengasse has always placed great value on musical and creative education. We are now building on that," said Education Director Elisabeth Meixner. Together, they want to give the school a new, artistic face - one that remains familiar while also creating space for new things.

Ministry Covers Costs

Martin Netzer, Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, stated that they are doing everything possible to ensure that the solutions are supported by everyone and that students, parents, and teachers find themselves in the proposals and ideas. The funds for this would, of course, be provided by the ministry.

The staff representative chairman of BORG Dreierschützengasse, Michael Harb, praised that "we are receiving a lot of empathy and support from all sides." Mirza Candic, chairman of the parents' association: "As a parent representation, it is very important to us to pull together with the entire school community. The process that has now started shows how constructively and solution-oriented we can work together - and that is exactly what we want to continue to focus on, for the benefit of the students. We also thank everyone involved in the summer program, which not only provides stability and community for the children but also shows them that they are not alone during this transition period.

Summer Program in Progress

In parallel with the construction planning, a comprehensive support and leisure program is running for the students of BORG. This was developed in close coordination with school psychology, the parents' association, and external experts. Offered are, among other things, animal-assisted individual and group therapy, regular visits to the horse farm, dog meetings on the school grounds, as well as free summer remedial classes in key subjects starting at the end of August. The program is complemented by the voluntary initiative "Side by Side," organized by former students, which includes creative leisure activities such as picnicking, cooking, writing workshops, or board game afternoons. The offerings are voluntary, free of charge, and are continuously expanded.

(APA/Red)

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