Holiday times vary
The Greiz CDU state parliament member Christian Tischner does not understand the small state system in the education system and has been fighting with parents for about nine months so that their children can go to school in Saxony. This would also solve other problems if siblings already go to school in Elsterberg. Christian Tischner calls on politicians to find a uniform solution for all border regions. Parents need planning security, said the politician.
“The holiday season partially overlaps in Saxony and Thuringia,” says Gabi Kühn. “But during the fall break it won’t just be two weeks that I have to cover, but three.” Gabi Kühn has an eleven-year-old daughter in the Elsterberg mainstream school. In two years she wants to enroll her second daughter in elementary school.
Parents also fear that local friendships will suffer if children attend different schools or have to sit on the bus to Greiz while their friends get off in Elsterberg.
Solution only in sight for individual cases
The Thuringian Ministry of Education is cautiously optimistic. After many discussions, everything probably boils down to Thuringia paying financial compensation to Saxony for the guest students. But that is only for this individual case, according to Erfurt. There is a special geographical situation in Elsterberg. At least the Cossengrün children would have a perspective at the Elsterberg primary school. The parents and the state parliament politician want to continue to fight to ensure that there is a uniform solution for all guest students throughout Thuringia.